Served our Country in the last 20 years? You could be a Veteran Mentor!

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Have you served in the Military in the last 20 years?

Are you looking for another organization who will appreciate your dedication, reliability, and passion for doing the right thing?

Are you fond of children and teens, and think you could be a good role model for them?

You might be a great candidate for Children's Home & Aid's Veteran Mentor Project!

Children's Home Aid is looking for kind and reliable recent Vets who are willing to be a role model for the residents at the Rice Child Familiy Center. Youth living at the Rice Center have usually been through severe abuse and neglect, and frequently their only role models have been staff who are paid to work with them and parents who have been absent for some/all of their lives. The youth at the Rice Center need thoughtful and intelligent mentors to be an example of what adulthood could look like for them. They need examples of men who respect women, adults who care about others without appearing weak, examples of how to share thoughts and feelings appropriately, and friends who can listen to what's going on in a child or teen's life with hope for their future and without judgment.

Children's Home Aid protects, educates and counsels children and youth to improve their lives. These children are experiencing overwhelming obstacles such as mental illness, homelessness, abuse and neglect. They have seen the ravages of poverty and drugs, and many suffer the painful loneliness caused by separation from their families. These obstacles are especially difficult, as many of them have the absence of a caring adult. The agency is greatly in need of "foster friends" to serve as positive role models for our youth in the residential treatment program. A foster friend is a caring and committed older individual in a young person's life. By spending a few hours a week sharing activities, listening, encouraging, challenging, and building skills and self-reliance, volunteer mentors can help children from achieve success. Currently all our Foster Friends are placed with our neediest children at the Rice Child & Family Center in Evanston.

As part of the Veteran Mentor Project (Funded by the Michael Reese Health Trust), our Veteran Mentors will have the opportunity to open new doors for our youth, by helping them develop and implement an enrichment project that can expand their knowledge and interests. These projects will be funded by a stipend, and the Volunteers will also be compensated a small amount for their time and expenses.

Mentors typically come on weekdays between 3 and 7 or on weekends.

In order to ensure the safety of our clients and staff, regularly scheduled volunteers participate in a screening process including an in-person interview, a health screen & TB test and fingerprinting background check.