Despite the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic, our incredible community of supporters came through in 2020. We are so grateful to grantors Golden 1 Credit Union, Capitol Network and Ticket to Dream Foundation. Their generosity, along with committed supporters and special donations through online fundraisers, enabled us to stay on track with plans to add another mentoring cohort this year!

It’s a pleasure to share that our Mentor Training Cohort 4 has begun! Out of 29 applicants, we welcomed 18 incredible adults. These individuals exude kindness and commitment and meet other criteria necessary to become an Aging UP Mentor.

Cohort 4 is very special. They are the first group to train entirely remotely. Typically, we hold 4 sessions, totaling 20 hours of in-person training. This has been revised to 6 sessions, totaling 14 hours of live virtual training, combined with independent work of completing activities and watching videos. To build community, mentors-in-training can network before and after each session. We also hold weekly Zoom drop-in hours for casual mingling and to discuss topics further.

Not only is this our largest training class, but it is also our most diverse group so far! Ages range from early-20s to mid-70s, and more than 7 ethnicities are represented. While the group is comprised primarily of women, we’re excited to have three strong male role models and will work to improve gender diversity.

Training is still part of our thorough screening process. It is also an opportunity for prospective mentors to ensure that we’re the right program for them. We believe each one has the potential to be a stable, supportive friend who can help a youth from foster care thrive.

We are so excited to continue learning with this group and preparing them to be the best mentors possible. Cohort 4, welcome to our community!

Currently, our mentors range in age from mid-twenties to mid-sixties. They have different ethnic and cultural backgrounds and display a wide variety of interests. However, they all share several common traits. They are dependable, patient and open-minded, with youthful, adventurous spirits. They are also good listeners who display consistency and have genuine interests in supporting teenagers. Of course, each mentor also meets our minimum requirements and has successfully completed our trauma-informed, strength-based training.

According to Harvard’s Center on the Developing Child, “No matter the source of hardship, the single most common factor for children who end up doing well is having the support of at least one stable and committed relationship with a parent, caregiver, or other adult.”

Mentors are more than a friend or a role model; they help to build resiliency in their youth. Since teens in foster care often have fractured or severed relationships with parents and caregivers, our mentors fill the necessary role of being a caring, committed supportive adult.

Do you have what it takes to be part of our mentoring team? Contact Program Director Kecia at kecia@agingup.org.

Each Mentoring Match enjoys time together differently. Our youth are encouraged to drive the types of activities they do with their mentor. Before we match a youth with a mentor, we take many things into consideration. The main criteria include the youth’s interests, personality and any requests they may have.

Once we pair a Mentoring Match together, we continue to monitor and support them. As their friendship grows, it’s amazing to see and hear about all the fun they have together. Check out some of these mentoring moments:

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We went hiking, even though it was hot and uphill, we survived with a few needed breaks. We dipped our toes in the ice-cold river then got some Mexican food before heading home.

We played 15 hands of Uno at a coffee shop. It was a BLAST! She had to teach me since it’s been over 20 years since I played last (LOL!) 

We went to an event at Sac State. After enjoying music and getting a bunch of cool SWAG, we just walked around campus. It was really cool to share a bit of my college experience and it provided a space for her to share her dreams and goals too! This was probably one of my favorite experiences with her!

We went to a tennis court and it was great to just whack the ball and have fun with it.

We saw his first concert together so it was really cool! It may have inspired him to start drumming again.

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We know, and research confirms that youth who connect with a mentor have significant and statistically better outcomes. If you’re interested in being a positive adult role model and a consistent, supportive friend to a youth with experience in foster care, register for a one-hour, no-obligation orientation by contacting Program Director Kecia at kecia@agingup.org.

Fall 2019 Orientations from 6 to 7 pm:

Thursday, September 5 |Natomas

Thursday, September 26 |Elk Grove

Wednesday, October 2 |South Sacramento

Thursday, October 3 |Arden Arcade

Exact location will be shared in registration confirmation email.

Training is a continued part of the screening process and allows us to get to know the mentors better. Their personalities, questions and engagement styles are tools that will be used to help match them with their own mentees.

Over four sessions, our founders, Match Coordinator Bonnie, LMFT and guest speakers Salina Harrigan, LCSW and Jayna Longstreet, MSW covered topics that included the foster care system, adolescent development, implicit bias, mentoring best practices, communication skills, along with program policies and procedures. A representative from The Child Abuse Prevention Center also provided mandated reporter training to our mentors.

The final session included a panel with a current Aging UP mentor, two former mentors to youth in foster care and a former mentee who is now a foster care alumnus. The panel provided insider tips and real-life examples on how to be a supportive mentor.

Our new mentors will soon be matched with their own mentees and begin the exciting path of being a supportive friend and role model to a teen from foster care.

The training sessions were held at Sacramento City College and were graciously funded by Sacramento County Office of Education and a grant from the Women Lawyers of Sacramento. We’re grateful to the additional support of our volunteers Andrea Watson and Dayne Sakazaki, who generously provided onsite assistance during the sessions.

Check out this short video of the Golden State Warriors as they join NBA Cares and MENTOR in bringing awareness to the important need of mentors for at-risk youth. During the month of September, this powerful partnership is shining light on the need for mentors and encouraging all to consider becoming “someone who matters to someone who matters.”

We invite you to take this message to heart and sign up for one of our upcoming orientations by contacting Program Director Kecia at kecia@agingup.org.

Our one-hour, no-obligation orientation is the first step to becoming a mentor in real life to a youth from foster care. During the presentation, Aging UP staff will thoroughly explain the requirements, benefits, and need for mentors. Attendees will gain a clear picture of what it would be like to be a mentor with Aging UP and will have all the information needed to decide if a mentoring a youth from foster care is right for them.

There may be 9 million at-risk youth without a mentor, but you can make a difference for one of them – right here in Sacramento!

Consider becoming a mentor in real life and register for one of our upcoming dates:

Saturday, September 23 | 10:00 – 11:00 am |Elk Grove

Thursday, September 28 | 6:30-7:30 pm |Midtown

Tuesday, October 3 | 6:00 – 7:00 pm |South Sacramento

This amazing opportunity for Aging UP is part of Born This Way Foundation’s series of Kindness Pop Ups at select tour stops, designed to spread kindness and highlight exceptional local nonprofit organizations across the country. Nonprofits are chosen based on their demonstrated excellence in supporting and empowering young people.

We will be featured prominently at the Kindness Pop Up, so please stop by and talk with our co-founders, who will be interacting with the thousands of fans in attendance. This is an incredible opportunity to increase awareness of our services and to recruit mentors.

Led by Lady Gaga and her mother Cynthia Germanotta, Born This Way Foundation was founded in 2012 to support the wellness of young people and empower them to create a kinder and braver world.

“Born This Way Foundation is thrilled to shine a light on the work these exceptional local organizations do for the young people they support. We share a mission to inspire and empower today’s youth and the resources and services these groups are providing in their communities are critical to that goal,” said Germanotta, Co-founder and President of Born This Way Foundation.

We love what Born This Way Foundation is doing! And we feel our missions align well together.

Aging UP’s mission is to empower youth with experience in foster care to successfully transition into adulthood. Our services of mentoring and positive recreation will offer youth from foster care a kinder world, encourage them to be kind, and support their overall mental and emotional well-being. We will also provide education and resources to better prepare them to bravely enter adulthood.

We absolutely cannot wait for this event and look forward to taking part in motivating others to spread kindness. If you’re going to this sold-out show, please stop by the Kindness Pop Up to say hi.