Mentoring Youth In Newark NJ

Newark, NJ is known for being the biggest shelter of the homeless in the Essex County but has also developed a reputation for low quality of education. There are many young residents of the community that are not able to get adequate school education and are also not able to attend a good college to finish their studies. As a result of this, you find the young residents of this community feeling perplexed about their future. There could be more than 500 children living homeless and unsheltered in the community on any given night.

A large population of the youth is consistently involved in drugs, smoking, and alcohol abuse because of which the chances of a bright future drop down further. In fact, 15-25 % of all the annual births in New Jersey are supposed to be from teenage mothers, most of them unwed. The situation is no different in Newark as well. To combat all these issues, many states and privately funded agencies have taken the responsibility to come forward and mentor the youth in Newark, NJ. The youth need to be given the right direction early in life so that they can build a future for themselves. The mentoring programs are not about providing food and shelter or child welfare benefits to these people. They focus more on the development of skills and a responsible personality.

Regardless to say, the number of black, Hispanic and other immigrant populations who are working on cash-based jobs are in dire need of such care. Additionally, the homeless and the low-income population also craves for youth mentoring programs where their children can get emotional support and develop an insight for their future. These mentoring programs are usually run with community involvement programs and a huge number of people from the local community volunteer every year to become a mentor to a child. Those who cannot actively participate in the volunteering and mentoring programs are devoting their monetary resources to help these agencies reach out to more children and provide them with a chance to become better citizens.

The lack of positive role models in the life of a disconnected and anxious youth can create too many troubles in his life. These mentoring programs are making sure that the youth have someone to look up to and make sure that their lives are not bonded by chains of poverty, homelessness or lack of good education.

To help assist the youth in Newark, you can volunteer your time or make a donation to Ymca of Newark and Vicinity and/or Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.