There are several issues to consider when becoming a mentor. That doesn't mean you SHOULDN'T, it just means you should think about these issues carefully before committing.
1. Time Commitment - Our program requires a commitment of one hour per week, for the duration of a year. If you're currently a student, you need to make sure you won't be traveling outside of the state/country for an internship for the summer, for instance. Once a week for an hour is NOT a lot of time, but you need to be sure you can allow for that hour or two (remember - you should factor in travel-time, etc!) into your existing schedule!
2. Emotional Commitment - The relationship you will be forming with a young person can be intense! Our program specifically focuses on youth who have incarcerated parents. While you're not a therapist or a replacement parent when you mentor, you will encounter some of their emotional baggage. Are you prepared for that? You'll likely have to work to earn trust, compete with what we like to call the "emotional shell" they've developed, and work around a potential culture shock. Many of the youth who participate in mentoring come from low-encome, disadvantaged backgrounds. For many mentors, it's a different world and takes some getting used to.
3. Personality Requirements - Mentoring requires patience and persistence. And not just with the kids :-) The top complaint we get from mentors is that the family of the child they are mentoring is difficult to deal with. Often they don't keep appointments or their phones get turned off and the mentor can't get ahold of them. Often our mentors feel like they're "playing detective" just to get in touch with a family to pick the kid up! We train our mentors about these issues and how to handle them. Unfortunately, our parents don't always have the best social skills/ social training. Sometimes our parents are so overworked (can YOU imagine have an incarcerated husband and trying to hold 2 jobs so you can feed your kids?!) and tired, they forget about appointments or schedules. They don't always realize they're inconveniencing you, the mentor.
With all that said, mentoring IS worth it. You've said yourself that you know the virtues of becoming a mentor for a child in the community. However, I commend you for looking into potential obstacles and preparing yourself for the reality of the situation. Mentoring isn't always "sunshine and rainbows", but it is one of the best learning experiences you will ever have! If you would like to learn more about youth mentoring, or (if you're in the Tallahassee area and) you want to start an application, feel free to email me at amy.taylor@chsfl.org!