Talbot Mentors will receive community support for its services to local children thanks to the United Fund of Talbot County. The mentoring organization has been selected as a participating agency that will benefit from the United Fund’s 2010-2011 campaign.

For the children of Talbot County, the support means more of them will be matched with adult volunteers, who offer their friendship and encouragement through the challenges and opportunities of adolescence.

Recruiting those mentors is the goal of Talbot Mentors Recruitment Chair Merrilie Ford. A mentor herself, Ford said she has been heartened by this year’s response to requests for volunteers.

“Our efforts in reaching out to church groups, clubs and civic organizations has paid off nicely with seven or eight possible new mentors,” she said. “And we always need more.”

Recruitment efforts have resulted in 14 new matches this year, with more students waiting for mentors to be found for them.

One new match was mentor Jim Reed and ten-year-old Jaden Taylor, who have been together since May. Reed previously had been matched with another youngster for two years. When the boy’s home situation changed and his life became busier, the boy left the program, although Reed still keeps in touch with him.

Reed is a retired contractor and had been thinking about mentoring for some time. When he retired, he said, “I didn’t have an excuse not to do it anymore.” Several friends who are mentors encouraged him to volunteer and connected him with Talbot Mentors.

“One-to-one individual connections have been very important in our recruitment activities,” noted Ford. “When people know you’re a mentor, you are often approached for more information.”

Mentors frequently are asked, “What do you get out of the relationship?” Far from being of benefit only to the child, almost all mentors respond that they receive just as much from the friendship as they give.

“I learn a lot from a ten-year-old,” laughed Reed. “I enjoy introducing Jaden to new experiences and watching his sense of humor develop—or rather watching him become comfortable enough to acknowledge my sense of humor.”

The two spend time together on excursions around Talbot County, taking advantage of the free outdoor movies and concerts that are available. They also will be participating in Talbot Mentors’ Partners in Art project this year, where local artists work with mentees to share their artistic skills.

In additional service to the organization, Reed recently joined the Talbot Mentors Board of Directors. “It’s nice to give a little back to the community that has given me so much over the years,” he explained.

Through the United Fund of Talbot County, the community is supporting the efforts of these volunteers who have chosen to give some of their time to befriend the community’s children.

Declaring mentoring “a really good experience,” Reed encouraged others to volunteer. “Mentoring enriches lives, both the mentor’s and the child’s,” added Ford. “Will you join us?”

For more information, to make a contribution, or to volunteer as a mentor, call Talbot Mentors at 410-770-5999 or visit www.talbotmentors.org.