FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Donna Pfrommer

203-339-6312

or

Soraya Bilbao-Kuo

20-339-6350

UNITED WAY OF COASTAL FAIRFIELD COUNTY JOINS MENTOR

FOR JANUARY 2013 NATIONAL MENTORING SUMMIT

January 23, 2013 (BRIDGEPORT, CT): United Way of Coastal Fairfield County joins major national youth-serving organizations in the third annual National Mentoring Summit to be held at The Mayflower Renaissance Hotel in Washington, D.C., January 24 and 25, 2013. The Summit will bring together more than 600 leading youth-serving organizations, along with government, civic, research, philanthropic and corporate leaders to share innovative program models, examine new research, project future developments in the field and fundamentally ensure that more youth receive quality mentoring throughout America. The theme for this Summit is “Mentoring Works: Inspire. Achieve. Advocate.”

United Way of Coastal Fairfield County’s initiative The Mentoring Institute of Coastal Fairfield County has been asked to be a presenter at this year’s Summit to share the successful model developed in our region. The presentation titled “Raise community awareness, collaborate and achieve positive youth outcomes!” will be led by Soraya Bilbao-Kuo, Program Manager, The Mentoring Institute of Coastal Fairfield County, an initiative of United Way of Coastal Fairfield County. Other participants include Diane Hubbard, Program Manager, The Connecticut Mentoring Partnership, The Governor's Prevention Partnership; and Anne Gribbon, Program Manager, Bridgeport Public Schools Mentoring Program. Dr. Susan G. Weinberger, a member of the Board of Directors of United Way of Coastal Fairfield County and expert in the field of mentoring will facilitate the presentation.

In this session, participants will learn about how United Way of Coastal Fairfield County collaborates with The Connecticut Mentoring Partnership and local mentoring programs to ensure mentoring best practices and produce positive youth outcomes. In addition, they will hear about inspiring stories from

mentoring program managers as to how The Mentoring Institute of Coastal Fairfield County’s strategic network can help ensure program sustainability.

“We are honored to join these esteemed youth-serving organizations to ensure we reach as many young Americans as possible who want and need a mentor,” stated Merle Berke-Schlessel, President & CEO,

United Way of Coastal Fairfield County. “It is a proven fact that quality mentoring can help keep kids in school, out of trouble and on a path toward being productive and engaged citizens. The National Mentoring Summit brings us together to celebrate and chart the course for high-impact mentoring that will result in a stronger, more productive society, and we are thrilled to share our successes with the group.”

The Summit is being convened by MENTOR and hosted by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), the U.S. Department of Justice – Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), the Harvard School of Public Health and United Way Worldwide, along with nearly 20 partner organizations.

The event also will provide the culminating moment for the 12th anniversary of National Mentoring Month, which is the national media campaign to raise awareness about mentoring produced by the Harvard School of Public Health, MENTOR and CNCS. Thousands of programs in all 50 states participate in National Mentoring Month events.

“Quality mentoring is a necessity in finding successful pathways to adulthood, and it is something that cannot be left to chance, “ said MENTOR’s President and Chief Executive Officer David Shapiro. “With effective infrastructure, growing insights and cross-sector partnerships, we can continue to advocate and enhance quality mentoring opportunities for our young people so they can find success at school, home and the workforce.”

The mission of The Mentoring Institute of Coastal Fairfield County is to make a sustainable difference in the lives of children and youth throughout Coastal Fairfield County. A collaborative network of 16 independent mentoring organizations, it builds the capacity of mentor programs to recruit, train, and match mentors, serves as a resource for mentoring best practices, and raises community awareness of the importance and benefits of mentoring.

The Mentoring Institute is an initiative of United Way of Coastal Fairfield County, whose mission is: “Together, we mobilize our communities to improve people’s lives.” Our vision is to advance the common good by creating opportunities for a better life for all. Working with many partners, United Way is focused on the building blocks that we need for a good life: a quality education that leads to a stable job, income that can support a family through retirement, and good health. United Way of Coastal Fairfield County serves the towns of Fairfield, Bridgeport, Stratford, Westport, Trumbull, Easton, Monroe, Weston, Norwalk, Wilton, New Canaan and Darien. Find out more at our website, www.unitedwaycfc.org.

To become a mentor to a child, please visit www.mentor-ct.org.

For more information, contact MENTOR at .

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