Mentoring Part of Community Outreach to Immokalee

Published on Saturday, 06 December 2008 01:28

The mentoring efforts, started three years ago as part of outreach efforts by the Naples Ave Maria Founders Club, began with four students and four mentors. Now, there are 41 students mentored by 12 Ave Maria volunteers - a mix of town residents, university staff and students. Mr. Hailer expects the program to keep growing rapidly, in part because of help from the One by One Leadership organization that provides additional support and assistance.

one1Mentors meet regularly with students at the high school, offering advice, answering questions and preparing kids for the next phase of their lives. The program has been a real help to Jonas Mervilus (pictured at right with Ave Maria resident Ed Cole), a senior headed to Florida A&M next year. "It keeps your head straight and your mind focused."

About half the students in the program go on to post-secondary schools, including some who were awarded scholarships to Ave Maria, Mr. Hailer said. The university's program to fund scholarships for Immokalee students recently held a golf fundraiser headlined by Hall of Fame catcher Johnny Bench (click here for story on that event).

One by One Leadership, a faith-based organization that is part of Leadership Foundations of America, has added new dimensions to the mentoring program in addition to offering a number of its own services to the residents of Immokalee. Working with the technical services staff at AMU, One by One has just opened a computer lab with 32 computers donated by Embarq and furnishings donated by the university, according to Executive Director John Lawson. The group also works to provide housing and food, and lends support to the youth groups and other activities of Immokalee pediatrician Milanio Villarosa. (For a profile of Dr. Villarosa from the Naples Daily News, click here.)

Several other members of the Ave Maria community are involved as volunteers with One by One. The organization, the Immokalee Chamber of Commerce and the Immokalee Foundation are holding a pancake breakfast at the AMU cafeteria Saturday, Dec. 20, where staff and volunteers will be on hand to discuss the groups' efforts and ways for members of the Ave Maria community to get involved. All are invited.

golf_dinner_110608_033At left, three Immokalee recipients of scholarships to AMU attending the recent dinner at the Golf Classic which supports the scholarship program. From left:
Jeni Nava, an AMU senior, Felice Perez, a sophomore; Andrea Rodriguez, class of 2008, now working in the AMU admissions office.