Mentoring Tucson's Kids has seen some 2,000 Southern Arizona youths come through the faith-based program since its inception in the mid-1990s.
Caitlin Schmidt Earlier this month, 15-year-old Gabriel Allen bowled the best series of his life, a feat that wouldn't have been possible without the guidance and support of his mentor, Jim Wilkin.
Wilkin and Allen were matched through Mentoring Tucson's Kids, a Southern Arizona faith-based nonprofit organization that pairs kids and teens with certain risk factors with an adult friend who can serve as a guide and role model. In January 2019, McNeil retired as executive director of both organizations, passing the torch to McGuire. In 2021, the board of directors decided to consolidate the programs to one, with Mentoring Tucson's Kids remaining.
"Now, the need is even more so, with everything kids have navigated over the past two years with COVID and all the changes," McGuire said. Referrals or direct applicationsCurrently, Mentoring Tucson's Kids is overseeing 15 matches, which McGuire said is on the lower side, but several more are in the works. The program lost a handful of volunteers since the pandemic began, either due to moving or health concerns, and is working to rebuild its force.
And while organizers ask that mentors have some affiliation with Christianity or Catholicism, the kids and families they work with can come from any faith. Wilkin used to volunteer with Big Brothers and Big Sisters in Washington state, and says his wife has always been a big supporter of what has proved to be his passion.
When it comes to the kids he's mentored, it's more about quality than quantity, Wilkin said."I'm not interested in how many I've worked with," he said."I'm interested in how many I can really reach."
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