"I am me because you were you" is message from mentees.

This January the Partnership joined the Rancho Cordova City Council to focus local attention on what President Barack Obama has now named a national mentoring month. On January 17, Mayor David Sander made a local proclamation, encouraging Rancho Cordova residents to thank their role models by becoming mentors in our community.

In addition to The Council's proclamation, the Partnership has scheduled on a variety of NMM activities to celebrate and raise mentoring awareness this month. The annual Mentor Appreciation Dinner will be held February 2, following both a craft night for mentees to create gifts for their one-on-one mentor and a round of parties where mentees celebrated their group mentor.

"We love the momentum that National Mentoring Month gives us to start the year," says Jennifer Ellis, Youth Development Manager. "Being a mentor is such a gift - to our agency, to a young person, but most importantly, to yourself. January is a great time for us to say thank you to our active and veteran mentors."

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The attendees who will participate in this years dinner include:

Active mentors are adult volunteers who are matched with young people and supported through Partnership's Roots and Horizons Mentoring Initiatives, which include one-on-one and group mentoring models. Veteran mentors have successfully graduated from the one-on-one program and continue the mentoring friendship with their mentees.

The Partnership closes the month out with an appeal for adults and businesses become involved in mentoring and or sponsoring a proto-mentoring Point Break session, which builds trust between middle and high school students and the adults in their community. Community members and companies can also donate much-needed funds to support this program. For more information about our youth services program, contact Jennifer Ellis, Yourth Services Manager at 916.361.8684 ext 236 about making a contribution or becoming a mentor.

The Partnership's group mentoring model is funded through a partnership with Rancho Cordova Police Activities League.