Community leaders urge area adults to mentor city’s struggling youth

Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy Executive Director Elaine Swafford talks to the student body outside the school on Tuesday kick off support for mentoring in Hamilton County. The event was sponsored by the United Way, Mayor Andy Berke and 68 nonprofits and schools. Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy Executive Director Elaine Swafford talks to the student body outside the school on Tuesday kick off support for mentoring in Hamilton County. The event was sponsored by the United Way, Mayor Andy Berke and 68 nonprofits and schools.

By Joan McClane May 25, 2016 5 min read

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Mentors Needed: Leaders call for city residents to embrace the area’s struggling youth

Students march into the Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy following an event to support mentoring in Hamilton County. The event was sponsored by the United Way, Mayor Andy Berke and 68 nonprofits and schools.

Girls Inc. alum Jasmine Pulliam speaks to students from the Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy about mentoring in Hamilton County. The event was sponsored by the United Way, Mayor Andy Berke and 68 nonprofits and schools.

Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy students hold red balloons to support mentoring in Hamilton County on Tuesday at the Highland Park school. The event was sponsored by the United Way, Mayor Andy Berke and 68 nonprofits and schools.

Amari Culotta, right, and Aminah Hamidi join dozens of other Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy students to support mentoring in Hamilton County on Tuesday at the Highland Park school. The event was sponsored by the United Way, Mayor Andy Berke and 68 nonprofits and schools.

Lurone "Coach" Jennings speaks to girls from the Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy about mentoring in Hamilton County. The event was sponsored by the United Way, Mayor Andy Berke and 68 nonprofits and schools.

CHATTANOOGA MENTORING COLLECTIVE

Participating Nonprofit Groups100 Black Women of Greater Chattanooga100 Black MenBig Brothers Big SistersMillion Women MentorsNorthside Neighborhood HouseOn PointUnited Way of Greater ChattanoogaBenwood FoundationBethlehem CenterBoy ScoutsChattanooga Girls Leadership AcademyCity of ChattanoogaCommunity Foundation of Greater ChattanoogaEast Chattanooga ImprovementEPBFront Porch AllianceGet Veterans InvolvedGirl ScoutsGirls Inc.GrassRoots MidTownHCDEIndependent Youth Services Foundation, IncJim Wert & AssociatesLa PazMt. Canaan Baptist ChurchStop the MadnessMen of VisionShe MattersPublic Education FoundationUNUMWorld Restoration CenterYCAPYMCA

Need a Mentor? Want to Mentor?

Go to the Chattanooga and Hamilton County Mentoring Collective web site at www.mentorchatt.org or call Elizabeth Tallman at 423-752-0307.

Nearly 400 local children and teens have signed up for mentoring programs and remain on waitlists because local nonprofit groups, businesses, churches and government programs have been unable to recruit adults willing to help.

But a growing, cross-sectional alliance, seeking to improve the economic mobility of local children living in poverty and isolation, hopes to make a dent in that number through a citywide mentoring effort, which many expect to gain steam over the summer months.

Hundreds of caring, stable adult volunteers are needed to pull this off.