Travis County Commssioners Court
January 13, 2004
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Item 3
3. Proclamation recognizing the month of January as "mentoring month" in Travis County.
>> thank you, judge. I think that I will start off reading the first part of the proclamation and Commissioner Sonleitner will read the latter part and we will give people a chance to get up to the table.
>> many call them leroy nelliss month.
>> gentleman's January 2004 is national mentoring month, whereas students with mentors are 75% less likely to drop out of school, and whereas schools with mentoring programs report a 76% increase in student attendance rates, 84% increase in students passing classes, 60% decline in suspensions om school, 58% of students achieving higher grades and whereas students with mentors are 46% less likely to start using drugs, 27% less likely to start using alcohol, and 33% less likely to hit someone and whereas one hour orientation sessions have been scheduled for January 22nd, February 19th, March 18th, and April 15th, 2004, each session will be conducted at the gardner-betts juvenile justice center training room, located at 2515 south congress from noon to 1:00 p.m.
>> now therefore be it resolved that the Travis County Commissioners court proclaim the month of January as mentoring month in Travis County, Texas and encourage Travis County employees to participate as mentors to Austin Travis County area students. Be it also resolved that we members of the Commissioners court encourage Travis County department heads and supervisors to allow flexible work schedules to enable employees to participate in this worthy opportunity. I move approval.
>> second.
>> good morning.
>> good morning.
>> I would like to thank the Commissioners court for your support over the last four years in the mentoring program that a team has really put together. I have some of that -- some of the members of that team here with me today. Including Commissioner Gomez, Commissioner Sonleitner, mmissioner Davis, judge Biscoe, Commissioner Daugherty, all have given us outstanding support for this program. I'm not sure that the total number of mentors that we have in Travis County, but I can tell you that it's probably approaching 100 or more. And we have many, many departments involved in it. Today, I have with me robert mendoza from aisd, pat dabert from aisd, carla robinson on my far right from aisd, we have with us sheryl natlis from health and human services that has spearheaded that program over there, travis gatlin from planning and budget and harvey Davis from the corporations. Carla? Pat? Would you all like to say something? Robert has lost his voice. [laughter]
>> I would just like to thank all of the Commissioners and the judge for supporting the mentor program and aisd and throughout the county. As Commissioner Gomez mentioned, it does make a huge impact on the children. And leroy as mentor of the year last year continues to be a role model to all mentors. I want to thank you for your support.
>> good morning. We really thank you for your support of the program at aisd. With over 80,000 students and -- and somewhere around 4,000 [indiscernible] we see the need and we appreciate your support in that, thank you.
>> thank you.
>> sheryl works with Austin high in getting the students ready for -- preparing their paperwork for college. You might share with us just a couple of words?
>> well, I just want to thank you all for the encourage and support to allow me as an employee of Travis County to be a mentor. It is the most amazing opportunity i've ever had that I can think of. And just thank you for the opportunity.
>> thank you.
>> we appreciate it.
>> I would like just to echo the same sentiments and encourage out there to join us in mentoring all of the students that they possibly can. Thanks.
>> harvey?
>> well, I started mentoring at allan elementary, I can report to you that there are a lot of mentors out there and doing a good job. So leroy's enthusiasm has really had a good effect at allan elementary, which sort of was the school that he spearheaded.
>> yeah.
>> one of the things that I would like to say that there's a current book that's getting a lot of attention. It's called aging well, by dr. George e. Ballard. With the harvard medical school. In that book he interviews various harvard freshmen over a period of 20 years. And one of the most significant factors of being happy in retirement and later life is having a significant relationship develop that continues into older age. And I would just like to say that those of us over the next five years will be reaching that golden age that it's a golden opportunity to establish [laughter] some mentorships, some relationships, with the little children that need our help. And I might say that I take more from the relationship than what I know that I give. So I would encourage everyone. The telephone number for anybody that's interested, which is robert mendoza's telephone number is 414-4512. 414-4512. Our next orientation session is January the 22nd. At the gardner-betts training room. And we have one of those one-hour orientations each month. Thank you.
>> this is for active workers and retirees, right?
>> that's correct. Or anyone that's -- that hears the broadcast, we need many, many mentors to donate one hour per week of their time.
>> and --
>> my voice is not completely gone, but, you know, thanks to leroy allan has gone from two to close to 50 mentors. That's within a year and a half.
>> goodness gracious.
>> that orientation session is a requirement. It's painless, having gone through it myself. In terms of figuring out exactly what the expectations are, but also there's a little bit of paperwork because you do have to undergo a criminal background check which is appropriate given that you are dealing with students, but it's all something that can be accomplished over a lunch period. Very easy and got the clearance pretty quickly. So that is a requirement is to do an orientation session.
>> I want to say thanks to the mentors. It is true you -- you get a lot more out of it than the child does, probably. But still you feel like one hour is worth the -- the kind of impact that -- that union is felt in the schools. So -- so thank you for your time. And commitment.
>> joe, I would like to say thank you very much to robert. Robert and I have known each other for a long time and to auto guy that really has spent a lot of time and effort into a lot of programs, speakerly for -- especially for kiddos in this community. I mean I feel like we've had lunch many-a-time at luby's together with robert and his children, you know, you really represent, you know, a wonderful model robert in this community with what you have done with your children and all of the children that you help. I wish we had, you know, 500,000 robert mendozas in this community. That would be wonderful if we did. But thanks very much. Not to -- not to thank all of the rest of you that I know that do a lot of work, I just happen to have had a relationship with robert for a long time and I really appreciate everything that you have done.
>> I would like to thank each and every one of you. You do an outstanding job. Leroy I really appreciate working with you at pecan springs elementary school on be right backer lane. Those students are very thirsty for this type of program. And again there is really a shortage I think of the mentors that we do need in this community. But again I think that you are doing an outstanding job. I think all of us are. So again thank you all very much.
>> so is this poster -- is this posted throughout our community.
>> yes.
>> can we get a shot of the poster here? That is not a professional actor, is it? That's a protege looking for a mentor, right?
>> that's a student.
>> you answered -- the answer to that question is yes. Because my next point is leroy told us the last time that he was before us a few weeks back that actually we could use about 20,000, right?
>> right.
>> so we are -- we are whoafully short of that number -- woefully short of that number, but this is an invitation to those in our community to volunteer to serve as mentors and numerous opportunities left and you do a world of good. Thank you all very much.
>> thank you.
>> we will help all we can.
>> thanks.
>> don't forget to take the proclamation.
>> yeah.
>> all in favor? That passes by unanimous vote.
Last Modified: TUesday, January 13, 2004 7:18 AM