11-R019

2011 -- S 0077

Enacted 01/19/11

S E N A T E R E S O L U T I O N

PROCLAIMING THE MONTH OF JANUARY 2011 TO BE "NATIONAL MENTORING

MONTH" IN THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

Introduced By: Senators Walaska, McCaffrey, and Lynch

Date Introduced: January 19, 2011

     WHEREAS, The Rhode Island Mentoring Partnership was built on the noble premise that

“when we invest today in expanding our community's capacity to mentor our youth, we will see

an incredible return in the lives of our children and the health of our communities for generations

to come”; and  

     WHEREAS, A non-profit organization based in Warwick, the Rhode Island Mentoring

Partnership provides support services to fifty-five mentoring programs, affecting more than 4,400

children across the state; and  

     WHEREAS, In addition, the Rhode Island Mentoring Partnership established and is

directly running highly successful programs in Warwick, Woonsocket, and Newport. The

Warwick and Woonsocket programs have produced measurable results, with a recent survey

showing improvement in the reading performance of fifty-three percent of the enrolled children,

an improvement in the writing performance of fifty-two percent of the children, an improvement

in mathematics performance of forty-nine percent of the children, and fewer disciplinary

problems in eighty-two percent of the enrolled children; and

     WHEREAS, National statistics have also shown that children with mentors are more

likely to succeed, with forty-six percent of the mentored young people less likely to begin using

drugs, twenty-seven percent less likely to begin using alcohol, fifty-three percent less likely to

skip school, and thirty-three percent less likely to engage in violence; and

WHEREAS, Mentoring is a two-way street. Mentors provide time and positive guidance

to those they help, but in return, they receive personal satisfaction and fulfillment. The

experience of being a mentor can perhaps be best summed up with a quote from an unknown

writer, “To the world, you may just be somebody. But to somebody, you may just be the world”;

now, therefore be it  

     RESOLVED, That this Senate of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations

hereby proclaims the Month of January 2011 to be “National Mentoring Month” in the State of

Rhode Island. Signed into law in 2002, this year marks the 10th year national celebration; and be

it further  

     RESOLVED, That this Senate hereby urges all the citizens of the state to join us in

acknowledging and applauding the admirable efforts of the Rhode Island Mentoring Partnership,

and all student mentors across the state. We furthermore urge any Rhode Islander who has an

hour to spare each week to become a mentor to a child in need; and be it further  

     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and he hereby is authorized and directed to

transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to the Rhode Island Mentoring Partnership.

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LC00433

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