Governor Declares January Michigan Mentoring Month

LANSING - Governor Jennifer M. Granholm has declared January Michigan Mentoring Month and announced that First Gentleman Daniel G. Mulhern will lead a special effort to encourage men in Michigan to become mentors.

"We have many men here in Michigan who are strong leaders and positive role models," Mulhern said.  "We want these men to know how much they are needed and how simple it can be to make a huge difference in the life of a child in their community."

Mulhern cited a recent study by Kahle Research Solutions, Inc. that showed the majority of the 4,000 children in Michigan waiting for mentors are boys.  The study also reported that while an estimated 35,000 children are being mentored in the state, only 35 percent of the mentors are men.

Granholm declared January Michigan Mentoring Month to call on people around the state to step forward and mentor children in their community, with a special emphasis on encouraging men to become mentors.  The governor's proclamation coincides with the observance of National Mentoring Month in January.

"Mentoring is not about your occupation, your title, or having special skills," Granholm said.  "Mentoring can be as simple as spending some time on a regular basis doing day-to-day activities with a child from your community."

As attorney general, Granholm established the Mentor Michigan initiative, which is now led by Mulhern.  Mentor Michigan is a statewide effort to raise awareness about the need for mentors and the benefits associated with mentoring.  Mentor Michigan also works with more than 230 mentoring programs statewide to recruit mentors and enhance the quality of mentoring in Michigan.

The governor and first gentleman mentor children from the Lansing area and are among the 97 percent of mentors who would recommend mentoring to others.  As part of Mentoring Month, the Michigan Community Service Commission, chaired by Mulhern, has program information and resources on the Mentor Michigan website to help future mentors find mentoring organizations in their community

Governor Granholm's upcoming inaugural events will also highlight and support mentoring with all proceeds from the ticketed events in Detroit on January 13 and Marquette on January 20 benefiting Mentor Michigan.

For more information about Mentor Michigan, call 1-800-VOLUNTEER or visit www.mentormichigan.org.

Mentor Michigan is a program of the Michigan Community Service Commission (MCSC), which is housed in the Department of Human Services.  The MCSC builds a culture of service by providing vision and resources to strengthen communities through volunteerism.  For more information, visit www.michigan.gov/mcsc or call (517) 335-4295.