January is National Mentoring Month. Its goal is to celebrate the positive impact a mentor can have on young lives. Programs use this time to spread their message and also recruit those members to be mentors.

In Northern Colorado, Partners Mentoring Youth has a mission to create and support one-to-one mentoring relationships between positive adult role models and youth who are facing challenges, whether that's in their personal, social, or academic lives.

According to the PMY website, 139,000 young people live in Weld and Larimer Counties. 20,700 of those live in poverty, 10% chronically miss school, and 17% consider or attempt suicide. If those numbers scare you, they should. But. Something can be done to bring the number of 1 in 3 children growing up without an adult mentor. You can be a positive influence for a child. To sign up, you can visit www.partnersmentoringyouth.org or call 970-484-7123 for more information.

There's also a big event coming up to celebrate mentoring! Shape the Future: National Mentoring Month Celebration will be held at Odell Brewing on Thursday, January 26th from 4:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. The first 50 attendees will get a free beer, and snacks and door prizes will be available. Current volunteers, staff, board members, and interested community members will be there to talk more about mentoring.

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