TeamMates Announces that Mentoring Report Shows Need for Diverse, Male Volunteers

The Lincoln Youth Mentoring Coalition, made up of 26 organizations across the city, has released its State of Mentoring Report. The report is the first of its kind for Lincoln and Lancaster County, and it was made possible by a Community Health Endowment grant written by Lincoln TeamMates (LincolnTeamMates.org). The report was generated by the coalition after conducting surveys, collecting data, and acquiring feedback from stakeholders to “map” the mentoring happening in the community.

Findings indicate that while over 2,300 youth currently have a mentor, 926 mentors are needed for students currently waiting. Moreover, there is a particular need for mentors of color and male volunteers. Currently, 51% of mentored youth identify as a person of color, compared to 12% of the mentor population.

The coalition was formed in June 2020 through a collaboration of TeamMates Mentoring of Lincoln, Big Brothers Big Sisters, City Impact, CASA, and LPS Federal Programs. The group grew to 26 organizations that currently conduct or are considering conducting youth mentoring programming, as well as organizations that support these agencies.

Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird endorsed the call for mentors, having recently joined the Mayors for Mentoring national initiative through a nomination by the coalition. “This is something we ostensibly do for children but really make a positive impact on us adults as well,” said Mayor Gaylor Baird. “I’m so excited to see how our community responds to this call for service.”

For more information on Lincoln TeamMates, please visit LincolnTeamMates.org or call (402) 436-1990. The State of Mentoring 2021 report can be downloaded at bit.ly/3hvM5kH.