YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio -- When he was 35, Joseph Lyons wanted to volunteer his time and join a mentoring program. But the director of the College of Health and Human Services graduate program at Youngstown State University didn’t have the time, he said.
Work and his two children took precedence after working and spending time with his two children.
Now 67, he has the time, along with a new perspective that can come only from a lifetime of learning. The extra three decades of experience he gained drove Lyons to establish the YSU Senior-Youth Mentorship Program.
“We’re all going to pull in these individuals and do three things,” he explained Wednesday at a press event to kick off the program. “We’re going to try to help them get an education, either in the trades or in academia. We’re going to get them a place to live their life. And we’re going to help them be independent.”
The program, a collaborative effort involving the Bitonte College of Health and Human Services at YSU, Safehouse Ministries and Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Mahoning Valley, will put at-risk teenagers in touch with senior citizens who have a background in the professions the students look to enter.
“Most of our seniors are retired or close to retirement, so they have the time to spend with these individuals. It’s the time factor and it’s also the experience,” he continues. “It’s the handing down from 65 years of experience to an individual who is 17 and is afraid of life.”
Also helping in the effort are local trades unions and judges from Mahoning County Common Pleas Court to create what state Sen. Joe Schiavoni, D-33 Boardman, calls an “all hands on deck effort.
“All kids deviate and it’s important that when they do, we pull them back in and show them their lives are worthwhile and they can be successful,” he told reporters. “I love that so many agencies and groups are here because that path is covered every which way and as long as everyone stays the course, we can change people’s lives.”
The program will offer a process for volunteers to learn how to become a mentor, Lyons said. First, those interested must go through training through groups such as Safehouse or Big Brothers Big Sisters before they undergo a background check and fill out a form that includes their interests.
“If a student wants to go to vocational school, we need to match them up with some who’s done the labor,” he commented.
For the first year after becoming a mentor, the volunteer must spend at least 12 hours every month with the student he’s adopted. There’s no set activities that must be done, Lyons says, but mentor and student must spend time together. To maximize the personal time, each mentor can have only one student.
“It’s a one-on-one situation. You have one mentor for one individual. The idea is to take the experience from the senior, who was struggled through life but made it, to help the mentee get on the right life path,” he explains.
While mentoring programs exist in the Mahoning Valley, Schiavoni said the more the better for the people in the area.
“The research has indicated there’s an absence or gap in services when it comes to hooking people up with educational pursuits and vocational skills training,” added Michael Welsh, a graduate assistant with Lyons. “The research also says the more [opportunities] that exist, the better this population will do. It’s a sturdy factor in their success.”
Theresa Dellick, judge who presides over the juvenile division of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court, said her division would fully support of the Senior-Youth Mentorship Program.
“I am passionate and I share that passion with Dr. Lyons. This is a wonderful program. Whether you’re a first-year or first-generation college student, you need help, from home to school to work,” she said. “To make them succeed, we have the mentorship of our pragmatic seniors who have seen the real world, which will only benefit our students.”
As of the launch, the program has four mentors — Lyons, a retired police officer, a retired railroad executive and a semi-retired social worker — but more have been in contact with Lyons about volunteering their time.
“Every single one of our young people needs our assistance and any way we can help them in our particular area [is good]. What I think we see today is a bunch of people saying, ‘Hey, if you need help, we’re there,’ ” YSU President Jim Tressel added.
Pictured: Mentors and educators held a press event Wednesday to announce the YSU Senior-Youth Mentorship Program.
Copyright 2014 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
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