A mentoring organization is looking to expand into Saline County.
Mentors 4 Kids is planning informational and recruitment drives in the county for children, parents and volunteers over the next couple months.
An orientation will be held Aug. 25 at the Harrisburg Medical Center Foundation office at 6 E. Clark St. starting at 6 p.m. for children and parents and 7 p.m. for mentor volunteers. A startup meeting was held Tuesday at the SIC Foundation Center.
The organization was born out of the ashes of Big Brothers-Big Sisters, which closed up shop in Southern Illinois, according to Carol Sluzevich, president of the M4K governing board. Big Brothers-Big Sisters is pulling out of rural areas, she said.
"Several of us got together and decided we didn't want to let those 66 kids down," Sluzevich said.
The new board of directors rewrote the program and set up a home base in Benton. Emily Hookham was hired a couple months ago to coordinate the program.
"So we are now brining kids and mentors into the program," Sluzevich said.
The program helps kids 5 to 17 years old by pairing them with a mentor.
Sluzevich mentors a girl who is now 14 years old, she said.
"I was able to expose her to things she wouldn't have otherwise been able to do," she said.
Referrals for kids will likely come from the four county school systems, Sluzevich said. There are already several kids the organizers have found who will participate in the program. Sluzevich believes there will be little trouble finding more. The problem will be finding adults. Organizers plan to start raising awareness in the county and hopefully find adult volunteers to act as mentors.
The group plans another event, possibly in September or October, so the public can meet organizers informally and find out about the program.
Local organizers include clinical psychologist Mike Handwerk, Harrisburg Education Association President Gabe Angelly, Judge Todd Lambert, Eldorado Guidance Counselor JoAnna Lane, Herb Klickner of the Chamber of Commerce, Egyptian Health Department chief executive officer Angie Hampton, Marsha Oliboni of Harrisburg Medical Center and Michael Tison of Raymond James Financial Services.
-- Mentors 4 Kids will hold an orientation for children, parents and volunteers at the Harrisburg Medical Center Foundation office, 6 E. Clark St., beginning at 6 p.m. for children and parents and 7 p.m. for volunteer mentors.
