Rick's Bike Sale A Huge Success!

Rick Anderson, mentor in Kids 'n Kinship, hosted his 5th annual bike sale last weekend at his home in Apple Valley.  It was a huge success, despite the rain, and his biggest sale yet!   He sold 129 bikes to community members, many of whom are participants in Kids 'n Kinship. As a result, Rick generously donated over $11,000 raised this year to Kids 'n Kinship!   Overall his sales have brought in more than $33,000 to Kids 'n Kinship over the years and we couldn't be more grateful for his support!
 
Here's a photo of a young man, who is matched through Kids 'n Kinship, enjoying his new bike!

Where are the MEN in Mentoring?

Recently, the Mentoring Partnership of Minnesota conducted a study surveying 74 mentoring programs in MN.  They found that despite the nearly 200,000 youth being mentored in the state, there are 250,000 more who are in need an adult mentor. According to the study*, the most common reason for youth to be on a mentoring program waiting list is due to the lack of mentors available. Additionally, twice as many women step forward to mentor as men. Therefore 29% of male youth wait a year or more before being matched with a mentor, compared to only 5 percent of female youth. 

Kids 'n Kinship's own numbers also reflect this need for more men in mentoring. Currently approximately 60% of our 76 matches have female mentees and 65% of our 43 children on the waiting list are male. There could be a variety of factors in these statistics, including perhaps a higher rate of boys being referred to mentoring programs due to more mothers getting custody and a lack of male role models.  It could also be that mentoring programs appeal more to women than men, despite attempts to engage men in the process of helping to support the next generation.

Consider becoming a friend to a youth in need.  All it takes is a willingness to step up and try.  Just be present with a child.  You don't have to be a perfect man or woman to be a role model and friend to a kid.  More than anything these children just want to have fun and our mentors say they enjoy doing kid-focused activities too.  You can even mentor with your spouse, partner, or family.  Attend our information session TONIGHT Wednesday May 15, 6-6:45 pm at the Conference Room at Burnhaven Library in Burnsville or Tuesday June 4, 6-6:45 pm at the Wescott Library in Eagan.  For more information on Kids 'n Kinship, go to www.kidsnkinship.org.

*http://www.mpmn.org/Files/State%20of%20Mentoring%20Survey%20News%20Release%20-FINAL.pdf

Helping Youth THRIVE!

Kids 'n Kinship had a fantastic chat group this week about helping mentees thrive!  THANKS to all 16 mentors who attended and shared their challenges and successes in mentoring! 

We had a lively discussion about how to help youth thrive.  Using the StepItUp2Thrive curriculum, we talked about what a spark is (a passion, hobby or interest which motivates us to make the world a better place) and how to identify a mentee's sparks and support them.  We also discussed how to differentiate between a fixed mindset (in which youth believe their skills & intelligence are innate and unchangeable) and a growth mindset, (in which youth believe they can learn and improve over time).  Youth with a growth mindset are much more dedicated to learning and working hard in school and in life and thus are more successful than those with a fixed mindset. We talked about educating youth about this distinction and encouraging them to adopt a growth mindset by praising any effort or progress and discouraging negative self-talk or labeling.  Finally we covered the importance of small, measurable goals determined by the youth, not set upon them by others.  

All of us at Kids 'n Kinship are so grateful to our fantastic volunteers who go above and beyond to support their mentees!

For more on StepItUp2Thrive curriculum, go to StepItUp2thrive.org
For more on sparks, go to http://www.search-institute.org/sparks

For more on the concept of mindset, go to http://mindsetonline.com/

To learn more about mentoring through Kids 'n Kinship, go to www.kidsnkinship.org

 

True Collaborative Spirit Results in Fun for Kids!

About 90 Kids 'n Kinship participants enjoyed a fun-filled day at the Minnesota Valley YMCA in Burnsville on Sunday April 21!  Kids 'n Kinship is a private non-profit 501(c)3 organization serving Apple Valley, Burnsville, Eagan, Farmington, Lakeville and Rosemount by matching children and youth with individuals, couples, and families for weekly activities at their home and in the community.  Mentors, mentees, kids on the waiting list, and their families had a blast swimming in the pool, playing floor hockey in the gym, and enjoying a tasty meal with donations from Noodles & Co. Burnsville. Rose plants were given to our volunteer mentors in appreciation of their weekly service and dedication to the children they mentor.   Kids ‘n Kinship wishes to thank Southern Dakota Scott Chapter of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans for sponsoring the event!  Also thanks to Single Volunteers of the Twin Cities members who volunteered with us that day!  This annual event demonstrates true collaborative spirit in the community!  If you're interested in getting started as a mentor, attend our next information session, Wed. May 15, 6-6:45 pm at the Burnhaven Library.  To RSVP or for more information, check out our website www.kidsnkinship.org

Guest Blog: In Honor of National Volunteer Week

National Volunteer Week

This week is National Volunteer Week and as board member and chair of Kids ‘n Kinship, I want to take this opportunity to publicly thank and express my appreciation to the Kids ‘n Kinship volunteers/mentors and all volunteers for their public service. It is the generous giving of time from volunteers that strengthens our communities; whether it be working with children, the elderly, the disenfranchised or protecting our environment and the animals.

I am very proud and honored to a part of Kids ‘n Kinship. Kids ‘n Kinship is a youth mentoring organization in Dakota County.  Its mission is to provide friendships (mentors) to children ages 5-16 who are in need of a positive adult role model. Mentors can be individuals, couples or families who are able to share just a few hours each week with a young person. Activities can include sports, games, crafts, being outdoors, or just hanging out. Thanks to our wonderful volunteers, Kids ‘n Kinship currently has 80 young people matched with adults. And thanks to these volunteers, the waiting list for mentees gets shorter and shorter. But the need for mentors and volunteers is ongoing.

National Volunteer Week is not just an opportunity to express gratitude for all volunteers, but to encourage volunteerism. As any volunteer will tell you, “you always get back, more than you give”. If you're interested in learning more about mentoring & Kids 'n Kinship, you are invited to attend our next information session on Saturday April 27th, 2:00-2:45 pm at the Wescott Library in Eagan (1340 Wescott Rd.).  You can also check out our website www.kidsnkinship.org.

Janet Lekson
Board Member
Kids 'n Kinship

Guest Blog: Annual Kinship Conference report from Rita

What's new?  Well ideas for making the best mentor matches for one thing.  Last week I enjoyed learning, sharing best practices and hearing new ideas from some of the best mentoring programs in Minnesota, North Dakota, Iowa and Wisconsin.  The annual Kinship Conference was in Brainerd and featured two days of interactive learning.  Want to know more about fundraising events, building a strong volunteer board of directors, insurance issues, etc?  Tune in to national and local practices resulting in long term meaningful mentor matches.  While there is a wealth of information offered on Mentoring websites (see below for a few), it was great to personally interact with professionals putting the information into practice.  I left the conference with lots of notes and a refreshed approach to matching great kids with great mentor volunteers. To find a Kinship mentor program near you, visit kinshipinc.org.

mpmn.org - The Mentoring Partnership of Minnesota

mentoring.org - MENTOR, National Mentoring Partnership 

nwrel.org/mentoring - Education Northwest National Mentoring Center

- Rita Younger, Program Coordinator

Best Buy & Kids 'n Kinship team up to teach teens in the Tech Mentor program

On April 3^rd, 13 of our Kids ‘n Kinship teens each with their own coach, attended the first of three sessions for our new Tech Mentor Program.   Funded by Best Buy, these teens will attend classes that will teach them how to use a digital camera with video, how to upload, edit, post photos to social media, and how to make a slideshow or video.   Teens who complete the classes will be able to keep the cameras.  The skills they learn will assist them in their middle school and high school classes as well as in their social life and into future jobs.  The class is taught by a past mentee of the program who loves technology and is now a college graduate and a Best Buy employee.  The kids, volunteers and staff are all excited about this new project!