PROGRAMS PROVIDED BY HEART OF OHIO MENTORING:

COMMUNITY MATCHES:  This is the foundation program of our agency.  This program matches an adult volunteer (or couple, or family) with a child from a single parent/guardian household.   This volunteer meets an average of twice, per month, with the child.  Activities may include, movies, sports, a walk in the park, hobbies, or other in-common interests.  The volunteer serves as a friend/mentor/role model for the child.

  In cases where grandparents, disabled parent(s), or foster parents are the custodians of a child, a match may also be assigned. A sub-program of Community Matches is MCOP (mentoring children of prisoners)  This program specifically works with children who have a parent incarcerated in a state of federal corrections facility.

PALS:  (Pride and Life Skills Mentoring) This program provides volunteer mentors to assist children that are referred by school staff.  Volunteers meet at least twice, per month, with a matched student during the school day. Student may be any household, including homes where both parents are present.

 PALS Plus takes place in an after-school setting and provides homework help and supervised activities.

PALS at Ohio State University-Marion:  This class at OSU Marion allows one credit hour, per quarter, for their students that participate.  Students meet weekly with their mentee, create a journal of progress and complete a quarterly report for the class. 

EMPOWER:  This program teaches awareness and prevention of abuse and neglect.   All of our community match children, volunteers, and parents/guardians are required to complete this two hour class. 

BIG BEGINNINGS:  A group mentoring program that meets once, per month, with a professional staff and local volunteers.  Activities may include: programs on safety issues, career objectives, earth science programs, recreational, literacy programs, and special holiday events.

PROJECT SOS (Success Options for School):  This project works specifically with students, families, school staff, and counselors.  This program partners with our Dimensions Curriculum which we created for students to develop their “Life Plan” by utilizing mentors, and a professional case manager to facilitate group discussions, work sessions with volunteer speakers on career and educational opportunities, introduce partners from other relevant community services and agencies and provide classes for families to support the student in their “Life Plan”.

LET’S TALK: This is a complete series of educational components for all ages (elementary through grandparents)  This series originated as an expansion of the original COD (Children of Divorce) classes that provide group classes taught by a professional case manager to address the feelings and issues of children experiencing divorce.   Class topics available are communication skills, anger management, mentoring your child, truancy and family mediation.

CYBER-SAFE: Internet safety is taught to ages kindergarten through adults.

I REMEMBER WHEN: A new program at the agency designed to provide a series of classes for grandparents over the age of 60 who are the primary caregiver of their grandchildren.  This program is funded by a grant from the Marion Co. Council on Aging and the Marion Rotary Foundation.

PASS PROGRAM:  This year we are partnering with United Way , Tri-Rivers, and Marion Technical College to begin a pilot mentoring program that matches volunteers from the community to each work with three Tri-Rivers Transition students.  This program is to provide guidance for the students to explore and expand their career choices, as well as support them in academics and other assets development.

 Heart of Ohio Mentoring is a member of the United Way family of agencies.