Mentoring
Are you ready To create the life you want?
The Hand Up Network Adult Mentor Program embodies the philosophy of all Hand Up Network (HUN) programs. Rather than offering hand-outs, HUN seeks to understand the journey that has led to this point, who the person is, and helps them to identify and see what their future could look like. We then walk alongside clients as they map out that future through a Life Plan, and connect them with HUN and community resources and programs to achieve it!
The Hand Up Network offers trained Mentor volunteers to clients that work with them to develop their own life plan and provide coaching and mentoring as they put their plan into action. These mentors and Hand Up Network staff become an important part of the client’s new “Support Network” as they begin to implement the changes they need to transform their own lives.
Five Fingers of Focus
Spiritual
What do I believe about myself? About my life? What is life’s purpose? While our clients are not required to attend church, we do promote a healthy spiritual life and a relationship with Jesus as essential to a healthy, abundant life. Church partners are invited to send Ambassadors to some Hand Up Network events or to just be available to meet with clients and invite them to church, meet them there and introduce them to people and services available at their church.
Jobs, Skills and Education
There can be many barriers working against a client to gain and keep meaningful employment: resumes, interview preparation, work place etiquette, trade certificates, college degrees, training. . Further, our clients often don’t know how to apply their gifts and skills to their vocational options. We help clients identify their skills and abilities, translate these skills into career choices and help them to reach for these careers through workshops, training, education (including ESL), apprenticeships and other program options. We seek to address many basic employment-related issues prior to applying for a job and support the client in becoming an appealing candidate to the employer.
It is important to note, that the Hand Up Network Employment Program is not about just securing a job for our clients, but about coming alongside and supporting them and their employer both before and after employment is secured. When a client has gained employment, the Hand Up team continues to meet with the client and her/his employer to ensure that the relationship continues to be favorable for all involved. In this way, relationships with local employers are enhanced and future employment opportunities for others are possible.
Financial
Clients who are on an employment track or who have gained employment may still be unsuccessful due to their inability to manage their finances. Hand Up Network identifies these issues and provides a range of workshops and classes in subjects such as: Budgeting/ Financial Planning – how to develop a budget to manage your finances, Investing- identifying and accessing financial services such as banking and savings plans, Insurances – demystifying and identifying best options for stage of life and other insurance needs, predatory lending, Credit-worthiness- repairing or developing a solid credit etc.
Well-Being
Client well-being includes mental, emotional and physical elements and clients are encouraged through mentorship to not ignore these areas. For example, persistent issues with anger or fear may be related to past trauma or PTSD and a need for counseling or other services. Emotional and mental health issues can be identified by qualified network partners who specialize in these important categories. Physical well-being is presented through nutritional and exercise workshops or network partnerships so that clients begin to realize options for healthy living that exist regardless of financial resources.
Support System
Clients can access workshops and classes that help them to recognize what relationships in their lives are positive and what relationships are keeping them from moving on and becoming successful. The purpose of this category is to build positive influences in clients’ lives and for them to begin to recognize traits that will not be helpful for them as they begin to recognize the importance of a healthy support network.
There is no time limit to HUN programs since everyone’s journey is different. Instead we mutually establish milestones with the aim that clients become excited about their lives and get to a place they are able to help others and give back.
HUN clients are empowered to make their own decisions because it is THEIR life. No-one is coerced, bullied or manipulated to make decisions or actions that are not theirs. However, once they have made plans or decisions, mentoring DOES help them to be accountable for those decisions and actions.
The ideal client for Hand Up Network Mentoring is anyone motivated to engage in a long-term process that will positively transform their life. For instance:
• A recovering addict who wants to find honest work and re-establish their life
• A single mom who struggles to make and meet a realistic budget
• An ex-offender who is serious about staying out of prison
• A homeless person who is ready to get off of the streets
• An employee who has to miss too many days of work for pressing personal issues
• A man without a high school diploma who cannot find work to pay his rent
• Someone who has recently experienced a disaster or a divorce and has to ‘start over’ without knowing where to begin
• A person with a disability who is no longer able to do the job that they are qualified and experienced for
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