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Thank Your Mentor Day Activities Encouraged
January 23, 2005, The Baltimore Sun

The Partnership for a Healthier Carroll County will celebrate the second National Thank Your Mentor Day on Tuesday with the theme "Who Mentored You? Thank Them ... and Pass It On!"

This is a day for Americans to reach out to thank or honor people who encouraged and guided them, and who have had a lasting effect on their lives.

Thank Your Mentor Day is the culminating event for National Mentoring Month. The partnership encourages each Carroll County resident to celebrate National Thank Your Mentor Day by contacting a mentor directly to express appreciation; by "passing it on" by becoming a mentor to a young person in the community; or by writing a tribute to a mentor and posting it on the national campaign's Web site, www.Who MentoredYou.org.

Local mentoring opportunities are available in Carroll County through the Boys & Girls Club, Carroll County Public Schools and Big Brothers Big Sisters.

In a study conducted by Public/Private Ventures for the Big Brothers Big Sisters mentoring program, children in mentoring relationships were 46 percent less likely to use illegal drugs; 27 percent less likely to begin using alcohol; were more confident in their schoolwork performance; and were able to get along better with their families.

A mentoring team convened by the Partnership for a Healthier Carroll County is working to expand mentoring opportunities for youth in the county.

The team is conducting a mentoring survey of more than 600 Carroll County organizations to determine the number of mentoring programs available.

Data also are being collected on needed resources and support from organizations that want to start mentoring programs.

Information: Laurie Beard, 410-871-6372.

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