The Interfaith Assembly is seeking a number of individuals willing to serve as a mentor with our "Home Coming" Life-Skills Empowerment program for Homeless Veterans. We are seeking individuals who are either veterans or who have a familiarity with the world and concerns of veterans. Mentors meet one to one with their mentee 7 Thursday nights (5:30 dinner - Optional) 6pm to 8pm - over the three month program. The Program began in late March and will graduate June 6th. Mentor sessions begin on Thursday, April 4. We now have 6 mentors and 8 participants so we are seeking 2 additional mentors who are available to begin as soon as possible. Mentors work with participants in helping them to articulate and work towards achieving personal goals. Case workers and program staff are available to assist mentor and mentee to identify and access special services and resources that are determined to be of value to the participant. The major qualifications needed in a mentor are: Emotional maturity, Considerable life experience, ability to be a good listener, compassion and concern for military veterans who have been homeless.
Program participants receive a transportation and graduation stipend and share a family style meal at each session. Participants also take turns sharing leadership roles during the meeting. Home Coming is one of a total of eight programs based upon the program model developed in 1989 jointly by the Interfaith Assembly and New York Catholic Charities. Other populations being served are - Homeless men and women, Domestic Violence Survivors and Ex-Offenders. A recent study by Fordham University's Beck Institute on Religion and Poverty found our programs to be very effective in helping participants to "make sense after the crisis" of homelessness - and in helping to reduce the level of trauma among participants.
