The following is a guest post written by Amber Jones, Customer Relations Specialist at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Chicago, in honor of National Mentor Month.

Working at Big Brothers Big Sisters, we spend a lot of time making our pitch – why mentoring works. You can often find us citing statistics, telling stories and showing pictures.

Those tools can be powerful, but a recent moment on the national stage truly made us reflect on the importance of what we do. In the wake of the shootings in Tucson, AZ, President Barack Obama addressed the nation in mourning, with poignant words on giving back to our community.

“Sudden loss causes us to look backward – but it also forces us to look forward, to reflect on the present and the future, on the manner in which we live our lives and nurture our relationships,” he said. “We may ask ourselves if we’ve shown enough kindness and generosity and compassion to the people in our lives. … We recognize our own mortality, and are reminded that in the fleeting time we have on this earth, what matters is not wealth, or status, or power, or fame – but rather, how well we have loved, and what small part we have played in bettering the lives of others.”

While we grieve as a nation, we also celebrate, as January is National Mentoring Month. We take this time to recognize mentoring as an integral part of enriching our community.

Having a long-term, positive adult role model has been proven to improve a child’s life. A study done by Big Brothers Big Sisters of America in 1995 showed that for children matched with a “Big” (a mentor) for at least 18 months, they are 46% less likely to use drugs, 27% less likely to use alcohol, 52% less likely to skip school, one-third less likely to hit someone and they get along better with their families.

For Dominick Gallegos, becoming a Big Brother was an opportunity to build a relationship and set an example for a young person.

“I really wanted to do something that would impact someone’s life,” he said. “As a young professional, much of my focus had been on myself and I felt it was time to add some balance to my life and do something for others.”

He has been matched with his Little Brother for three months, and as his “Little” (his mentee) opens up to him through activities like bowling, playing catch and drawing, Gallegos said it has been both rewarding and a learning experience.

“I would not be who I am today if not for the many people in my life that have guided me when I was growing up.  We usually do not realize how important those relationships are to us at the time, but I’m very appreciative of every one of them,” he said. “I think that we all have an inherent responsibility to our community and our young people. The one thing that remains vital to any healthy community is that group’s ability to provide role models and mentors to guide future generations to a better and more prosperous life than the last.”

Some of us have money, some of us have time, and some lucky ones have both. We all have something to give.

This month, think about how you can help support mentoring. Whether it be spreading the word to those you know or volunteering as a mentor yourself, anyone is capable of contributing. Whatever you do, it will help lay the groundwork for children in your community to achieve success throughout their lives.

President Obama closed his speech with a call to action. He remembered nine-year-old Christina Taylor Green, a child with a budding interest in and hope for our country and one of the six to lose their lives in Tucson.

“I want us to live up to her expectations,” he said.  “I want our democracy to be as good as she imagined it. All of us – we should do everything we can to make sure this country lives up to our children’s expectations.”

For more information on what you can do, please visit www.bbbschgo.org. You can follow Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Chicago on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BBBSChi or on Twitter at @BBBSChi.

First, the site coordinators indulged us in a tour of the center, which boasts a host of activity hubs (e.g. swimming pool, basketball court, library, teen lounge, computer lab, cafeteria, etc.) all situated off of a narrow maze of hallways in a building more than 100 years old that, from the street, looks too small to contain more than a convenient store selection of magazine racks and snacks.

The Director of the facility took time to educate volunteers on the breadth of services and activities they provide at CYC. She then instilled the fear of (insert religious deity here) in us – or at least in me – by elaborating on our role for the evening.

We were going to be broken up with groups of teenagers and would have to walk them through the CYC scholarship application – complete with providing guidance on essay responses and the do’s and don’ts of completing this and similar applications. That wasn’t all… We would also have to engage participants in mock interviews and provide feedback on their strengths and weaknesses at the conclusion.

Though a daunting task within a 2 hour window, it was one of the most incredible volunteer experiences of my life.

My group consisted of 7 girls ranging from grades 8 to 12. They also ranged vastly in their exposure to a process such as this as well in their writing skills and experiences from which they could draw for essay responses.

…and so it began…Initially, some group members could not have been less interested in the task at hand while others were fully engaged in every word that I uttered. I pushed on, nudging and encouraging along the way, highlighting the importance of “getting it right”, “taking it seriously” and differentiating themselves because in the real world, that application is the first step towards funding for their continued education, but could also be the last step if it lands them in the “No” pile. I drew from my own experiences, and little-by-little got everyone on board.

As fearful as I initially was about their receptiveness of my constructive criticisms and “red pen” approach, it seemed that the more I guided them, corrected them, and praised what they did well, the more they craved. Those who wouldn’t be bothered with putting pen to paper at the outset soon had page-long responses and were anxious to get my input on their latest edits.

The most rewarding parts…

My group was so immersed in their work that when 2 new teens entered the room and 1 was being distracting, everyone discouraged it stating that they were trying to focus. The young man apologized and kept to himself from then forward. At that point, I knew I had them hooked.

When it was time to pack-up for the evening, the group verbalized their disappointment that we couldn’t continue. One young woman asked if it would be okay to take my email address and connect with me for guidance as she continued to prepare her application(s). From there, the ripple effect resulted in me offering to return to CYC to meet with the group and continue to work with them through the application and interview process – an offer that was gladly accepted by the CYC coordinator. I plan to return next week. I can’t say enough about how rewarding it was to see a slight transformation even in only 2 hours with the group, and I’m anxious to see what can be achieved over more time.

A mentor changed my path in life when I was a teen by putting in extra time with me after she had already put in a full day’s work. I would not be who I am now if not for her. This experience, even as a small dose of what she did for me, has taught me that my growth as a result of her guidance probably means as much to her as it does to me, and for a debt that I thought I could never repay, it now feels like I can.

I encourage other participants to share their experiences by posting comments here. Likewise, if you’ve had a mentoring/volunteer experience that you would like to share, please post your comments