By Mark Wineka
Salisbury Post
In recognizing January as National Mentoring Month, Salisbury City Council took time at its recent meeting to feature some of the local mentoring opportunities available to adults.
Some of the choices:
– Rowan Communities in School ó Offers in-school mentoring and tutoring during school and business hours. Contact 704-797-0210. Web site: www.cisrowan.org.
– Rowan Youth Services Bureau’s X2 (Times Two) Mentoring ó A community-based mentoring program that matches at-risk youth with adult mentors. Contact 704-633-5636. Web site: www.rowanysb.com.
– Salisbury YMCA Black Achievers ó To help youth develop a positive sense of self and to set high education and career goals. Contact: 704-636-0111. Web site: www.rowanymca.com.
– St. John’s Lutheran Church’s Barnabas Connection ó Group mentoring, Thursday afternoons from 3:30 to 5 p.m. with middle school children. Contact 704-636-3431. Web site: www.stjohns-salisbury.org.
The city’s focus against gangs and youth violence has led to formation of the Salisbury-Rowan United Action Agenda. Mentoring and tutoring youth is one of its agenda items.
There are more than 500,000 children in North Carolina and 16 million children in the United States said to be in need of mentors.
Mentors are said to serve as good examples for young people, offer skills for children to succeed, provide stability, instill values and build the confidence of children they assist.
Statistics show that children with mentors improve in areas such as school attendance, attitude and opportunities for higher education, the city proclamation said.
Doug Paris, assistant to the city manager, said he will report in February how city employees will be involved in mentoring.
In another matter Tuesday, City Council approved a resolution honoring Human Resources Director Melissa Taylor’s service to the city.
Taylor is leaving Salisbury to take the human resources director’s job for the city of Winston-Salem.
Council members also presented her with a framed picture by Salisbury artist Robert Toth that showed the Plaza, where Taylor’s first office in Salisbury was located. She was hired as Salisbury’s first human resources director and served for 15 years.
“I feel I am well prepared,” Taylor said of moving on. “… I plan to represent you well.”
Taylor moves from an organization of less than 500 employees to one of several thousand.
Mayor Susan Kluttz said Taylor’s leaving will represent “a tremendous loss to this city.”
Kluttz added that Taylor leaves Salisbury in better shape and that her work went beyond her job description.
Contact Mark Wineka at 704-797-4263, or mwineka@salisburypost.com.