“To be given the opportunity to build a one-on-one relationship with a child, so that you may hopefully contribute to the well-being of their life, guide them, inspire them, encourage them to be, do, grow into the person they are meant to be, is remarkable. It isn’t a one-time event or function you attend. You are a part of shaping someone’s life!” – VIP Volunteer Mentor

Want to be a LEADer? Join VIP's Mentoring and Tutoring Program!

L.E.A.D. helps kids Learn, Explore, Advance and Dream by matching young people who are receiving mental health services with an adult volunteer mentor or tutor who can be their champion. It is not enough for us to help children heal physically and psychologically. We want to restore their hope for their own future.

Mentoring

It can be difficult to describe the relationship between a mentor and a mentee. Mentors are people that these youth can trust with their lives, health, ambitions, successes and failures; and everyone, no matter how challenging or privileged their lives have been, can always use one more person to trust. With VIP’s help, they go places like the ballet, amusement parks, museums and gardens, the beach, even shopping for school clothes – places they might not have a chance to go otherwise.

Tutoring

In a time when education budgets are being slashed and more children are slipping through the cracks for want of a little personal attention, the VIP Tutoring services remain a vital resource for the youth in the communities we serve. Tutors commit to at least a year and spend one hour a week with their assigned child, assisting in their academic development. This experience boosts the confidence of the children as they progress and learn, and also serves as a learning experience for the tutors, who often gain confidence in their own skills as teachers and role models. VIP has on-site student-friendly instructional space and resources including computers, a reading library, textbooks, workbooks, and other tools to encourage children’s and teenagers’ academic progress.

"This is the best day I ever had." - Andrea, young VIP client, after her first outing with her mentor.

If you are interested in volunteering as a Mentor or Tutor, please call Ana Ramirez, Program Coordinator, at 323-221-4134 x109, for more information.