Posted by: thepinetree on 07/05/2013 09:39 PM
Updated by: thepinetree on 07/05/2013 09:40 PM
Expires: 01/01/2018 12:00 AM
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Ed Ballard Named July 2013 Mentor of the Month
Calaveras County, CA... The Calaveras Youth Mentoring Program is proud to honor valued Valley Springs resident Ed Ballard as July 2013 Mentor of the Month. “Not only is Ed a devoted mentor, he has also been an incredible asset to the Mentoring Program as a whole,” said Colleen Dolan, Coordinator of Mentoring Programs at the Calaveras County Office of Education, “Ed is, quite simply, a very good man. We all enjoy spending time with him.”...
Ed first considered becoming a mentor when his friend, Doug Evans, also a mentor, told him that there were a lot of boys waiting to be matched with a guy just like him. Ed and his mentee Christian, an eleven-year-old boy, were matched because of their mutual love for the outdoors. “One of the most memorable moments in our friendship was when Christian caught his first fish,” said Ed. “Since then, we’ve spent a lot of good times together fishing and hiking. This summer we plan to do some backpacking.”
Ed has come to respect his young friend very much over the year-and-a-half that they have been meeting weekly. “One day we talked about the importance of tipping waitresses and how hard they work, often to support their families. A few days later, as we were leaving a restaurant, Christian took out his own money and quietly left it on the table as a contribution to the tip,” said Ed. “At that moment, I felt honored to be his friend.” Ed and Christian also worked together to prepare Christian to pass an important wilderness safety exam. “We studied together, and I went with him to take the test. He was thrilled when he passed,” said Ed.
Mentors in the Calaveras Youth Mentoring Program commit to spending at least two hours a week with their mentee for one year, and “Ed has been an amazingly consistent, dependable mentor,” said Colleen. “He is very careful to show Christian that when a man says he is going to do something, he does it.” Ed also brings this level of commitment to his other volunteer activities with the Calaveras Humane Society and the Masons.
“Even after a hard day at work, once I spend some time with Christian having fun, the stress of the day just fades away,” said Ed. “I have gained so much more than I expected from being a mentor.”
The Mentoring Program is always seeking volunteers, and particularly needs mentors for boys in the West Point and Mountain Ranch areas. There are also many ways for volunteers to support the Mentoring Program aside from being mentors themselves: help coordinate fieldtrips, support fundraising efforts, or help with publicity. For more information about the Calaveras Youth Mentoring Program, call Colleen Dolan, Mentoring Program Coordinator, at (209) 736-6078 or visit us online at www.calaverasmentoring.org.
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