By Staff
LANSING - Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm declared January Mentoring Month and is calling on people around the state to step forward and mentor children in their community.
The governor's proclamation coincides with the observance of National Mentoring Month in January.
As attorney general, Granholm created the Mentor Michigan Initiative, now led by First Gentleman Daniel G. Mulhern.
Mentor Michigan is a statewide effort to raise awareness about the need for mentors and the benefits associated with mentoring.
As a result of the initiative, organizations across the state are coming together to encourage people to mentor a child.
The governor and first gentleman mentor children from the Lansing area and are among the 99 percent of mentors who would recommend mentoring to others.
They believe the experience enriches many more lives than the life of the mentee.
The First Gentleman is urging men, particularly men of color, to step forward to mentor children in Michigan.
Mulhern cited a recent study released by Kahle Research Solutions Inc. that showed only 33 percent of mentors in Michigan are men.
The study also showed that while 36 percent of the mentees are children of color, only 24 percent of the mentors are people of color.
This disparity creates a dilemma for mentoring programs trying to match children with mentors from the same ethnic and gender backgrounds.