National Mentoring Month

WHEREAS, Alabama’s success depends upon every child succeeding in school and reaching their full potential in life, and these objectives are more easily met when young people possess a solid foundation of support that will help them become well-educated, confident and productive citizens; and

WHEREAS, mentoring is a proven, effective strategy that helps children and young adults by matching them with a caring, responsible adult who can provide guidance and direction; and

WHEREAS, mentors help build character, encourage success, boost confidence, lift expectations and inspire young people to do their best; and

WHEREAS, mentors serve as friends, role models, teachers and sources of stability and support during a critical time in a child’s life; and

WHEREAS, research shows that mentoring has beneficial and long-term effects on youth by increasing their academic engagement and decreasing the likelihood of substance abuse and other risky behaviors; and

WHEREAS, mentoring strengthens Alabama’s economic and social well-being by helping young people fulfill their potential, while helping maintain healthy families and promoting more vibrant communities; and

WHEREAS, thousands of Alabama’s children are in need of a caring adult mentor in their lives, and closing this mentoring gap will take more investment, partnerships and volunteers who are ready to make a difference in a child’s life; and

WHEREAS, National Mentoring Month is an opportunity to raise public awareness on the importance of mentoring, recognize the dedicated individuals who serve as mentors and encourage more citizens to help build a brighter future for Alabama’s youth:

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Robert Bentley, Governor of Alabama, do hereby proclaim the month of January 2014 as

National Mentoring Month

in the state of the Alabama, and recognize the importance of mentoring and encourage Alabamians to look for opportunities to serve as mentors in their communities.