Mentoring program celebrates second year

FALLBROOK — On March 12, the GANAS Mentoring Program will celebrate its second anniversary.

The program began with four adult volunteer mentors from the Fallbrook community and eight students ranging in age from 9 to 14 at Summer Ridge Apartments on Alvarado Street.

This after-school program has grown now to include two more groups, one at Turnagain Arms Apartments on East Mission Road and another at Fallbrook View Apartments on Alturas Road.

Thanks to new volunteer mentors, who were trained and fingerprinted, there are 32 children meeting once a week at their place of residence with their mentors.

The meetings are held once a week for an hour and a half to discuss issues that come up at school or home, work on projects, play indoor and outdoor games, write letters to pen pals and share “good news and bad news” of the week. Healthy snacks are provided.

The goal of the mentor program is to help young people make good choices in life, like showing respect for teachers and parents, avoiding drugs and alcohol, graduating from high school and going on to college.

The GANAS Mentoring Program falls under the not-for-profit program of the Fallbrook Citizens’ Crime Prevention Committee. New mentors are always being sought to help grow the program.

For more information about the program or to volunteer as a mentor, contact Pat Braendel at (760) 731-9127 or Phyllis Sweeney at (760) 731-3037.