Staying Involved With College Mentors

It’s summertime at College Mentors for Kids. The kids are on summer vacation, the mentors are in the middle of internships and summer jobs, and the headquarters staff is hard at work preparing trainings and partnerships for our ever-growing program.

Thankfully, College Mentors’ group of dedicated alumni have the opportunity to participate in volunteer opportunities all year long!

Indianapolis area alumni will be meeting on Thursday, July 12 at 7 p.m. at the Tomlinson Taproom at City Market in downtown Indianapolis. The gathering will be a relaxed, informal opportunity to meet fellow College Mentors’ alumni and to learn about upcoming volunteer opportunities.

Michael Trojnar, Butler Class of 2008 and past chapter leader, believes these informal gatherings are important to maintaining an active alumni volunteer base.

“College Mentors connected me to so many people who shared in my passion for giving back to the community,” Trojnar said. “I’m excited to start gathering more of us together more often so we can continue making a real impact on the community.”

Curtis Ward, College Mentors for Kids’ associate program director and past University of Indianapolis chapter president said he knows several alumni who are excited to start giving back.

“I have had the unique opportunity to continue my service to the community by joining the staff at College Mentors for Kids,” Ward stated. “But I personally know several other alums that have been looking for an opportunity to stay engaged. These small get-togethers are a good first step in creating fun and impactful volunteer opportunities. Personally, I can’t wait to see some of my fellow mentors.”

The headquarters staff and board of directors have also been planning opportunities to keep program alumni engaged in service to the organization and to the community. These include visiting activities, volunteering at Fall Leadership Conference in September, and participating in small fundraising campaigns.

Tony Barenie, College Mentors for Kids’ development associate, said the new fundraising ideas are easy to implement and very beneficial to the organization.

“One of the most impactful ways our alumni can stay involved at College Mentors is through small fundraising efforts,” Barenie said. “These include everything from potluck barbeques with donations to lemonade stands. This past spring, 15 alumni, friends and family had a successful fundraiser around the NCAA Tournament. I can’t wait to see what this group comes up with!”

To RSVP for the July 12 gathering, contact Tony Barenie at tbarenie@collegementors.org. For more information on fundraising and volunteer opportunities, visit College Mentors for Kids’ website at http://www.collegementors.org/help-raise-funds.