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Opportunities to Get
Involved!
As a one stop resource for
youth, there a a number of ways to volunteer your time and efforts and
get involved with TRAC. Please take a look at the list, and if something
interests you contact Maury Meekins at 214.370.9300 x 27 or
email her for more information. In
addition, if you have any ideas of other ways to get involved please
pass them along!
For more information or to be
contacted about volunteer opportunities, please fill out our
Volunteer
Interest Form.
Mentor Program at TRAC
What
is mentoring?
Who in your life saw your potential? Who recognized your strengths? Who
showed you another way to do things or think about a problem? Who
encouraged you to explore your own options? Who challenged you because
they believed in who you could become? For many of us, that was our
family. For some it may have been the neighbor or a teacher. These people
are our mentors.
Mentors are people who choose to be our friends, coaches, cheerleaders,
confidants, advisors, and tutors. They choose to spend time with us, with
no strings attached, because they care.
Who would I be mentoring?
TRAC’s youth are in transition. They are preparing to leave substitute
care, including foster homes and juvenile services. Many come from a
background of abuse or neglect and may be experiencing emotional or mental
health problems. When they turn 18, they are adults in name only and are
often not prepared or ready for living independently. Many lack confidence
in themselves and fear being alone. They may lack the basic skills needed
to find a job, keep an apartment, handle money, or make decisions that
will advance their independence. In most cases, these youth lack family or
community support, outside of the system, and find themselves totally on
their own. Without a family to support them, these teens desperately need
positive role models to develop healthy, trusting relationships. Without
community connections and with limited finances, youth often need
reminders of how to have a good time; mentoring allows time for safe, fun,
and affordable recreation.
What is a mentor’s commitment?
By virtue of being an adult, you have something to offer these youth. Are
you willing to offer the benefit of your life experience to help our teens
reach their potential? TRAC asks for a commitment of approximately 5 hours per month, with
at least one face to face visit. Offering your support
through phone calls and activities for just a few hours a month can
support our young adults in making responsible decisions, finding
employment, seeking higher education, or simply getting through the
day-to-day trials of being on your own. Mentor’s are required to attend 8
hours of training before being matched and on-going training is provided
as needed. Volunteers must be over 21 and make a year commitment. A
background check is required.
If
you are willing to consider being a TRAC mentor,
email or call Maury Meekins at 214.370.9300 x27.
E-Mentoring Program at TRAC
Similar to our full fledged
mentoring program, the e-mentoring program is a way for busy individuals
who may not have hours a month to spend face to face with our youth, but
want to help guide a young person in the right direction. In our
e-mentoring program, you will be matched up with a youth, most likely an
individual who has gone off to college and is not located within the metroplex, and utilize the internet and telephone to contact the youth
and make sure they are staying onTRAC!
PAL Class Aide
The role of our PAL class
aides is to assist the facilitator in delivering that classes lesson to
the youth. Bi-lingual skill a plus but not necessary. We need
individuals who are patient and can assist the youth with comprehension
of material as well as answer questions that they may have an work
though problems with them. The PAL class schedule is posted on our
calendar.
For more information on PAL Classes please contact Maury Meekins @
214.370.9300 x27.
Special Event Volunteer for TRAC
Throughout the year TRAC put
on various events for the youth and as publicity and fundraising events
for the TRAC program.
Here is a list of events that
we have had in the past:
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Sunburn Grand Prix (our annual fundraiser at the Texas
Motor Speedway)
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Halloween Party
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Holiday Party
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College Kick Off Event
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Regional Teen Leadership Conference
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Retreats
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Community Service Projects
If you are interested in
helping plan, organize and execute any or all of these events please
contact
Maury Meekins for more
information and to get a volunteer application!
TRAC is
constantly coming up with and creating more volunteer opportunities. If you would like
to work with TRAC youth, but nothing above peaks your interest, please call
Maury Meekins to discuss your interests.
You can also
check our calendar to see when orientations
and upcoming events are scheduled.
Please check out our
activities page to find helpful links to events in the area.
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