MENTOR Vermont and MENTOR Thank U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy for his Decades of Servant Leadership and Strong Advocacy for Expanding Quality Mentoring for the Young People of Vermont and the Nation
November 16, 2021 – As Senator Patrick Leahy, a steadfast champion for the state of Vermont in the U.S. Senate for more than 40 years, announces that he will not seek reelection, MENTOR Vermont and MENTOR National thank him for his unwavering support of the mentoring movement and our country’s young people.
As the Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and the senior-most member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Senator Leahy has had a direct and positive impact on supporting and increasing funds for the youth mentoring grant program funded by Congress and managed by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) at the Department of Justice.
This grant, the only program in the federal budget solely targeted to expanding quality mentoring for our young people and the single largest investment – public or private – in youth mentoring, has made an enormous impact on the quality, innovation, and availability of critical supportive relationships for young people, especially those facing the most challenging circumstances. The OJJDP youth mentoring program provides competitive grants and funds the National Mentoring Resource Center to enhance the practice of mentoring through training and technical assistance at no cost to nonprofits, schools, and faith-based organizations delivered by MENTOR, MENTOR Affiliates, and leading researchers and experts nationwide.
Under his leadership and with broad bipartisan support, Senator Leahy has helped usher in significant funding increases, a focus on quality practice and an emphasis on supporting the nation’s youth with the personalized positive supports made possible through professional supported relationships that meet them where they are and chart a future course. Senator Leahy’s actions and leadership have ensured rural communities have a fair opportunity to apply for federal grants and helped expand the youth mentoring program’s focus to include critical community challenges.
This helped pave the way for a joint mentoring grant between MENTOR Vermont and the Vermont Agency of Human Resources for youth impacted by opioids and led to investment in this area nationwide. The specific grant supports four underserved regions of Vermont, targeting rural youth experiencing poverty and other adverse childhood experiences that put them at high risk for substance abuse. Chad Butt, Executive Director of MENTOR Vermont, comments, “The increased investment of federal funding is having a profound impact on the youth mentoring field in Vermont, allowing MENTOR Vermont and local programs to expand and support more youth in these four regions of focus even during the uncertainty brought on by the pandemic.”
Senator Leahy has distinguished himself as the longest-sitting Senator in the body’s history and his long-term servant leadership is a beacon for all. He has been a steadfast champion for young people and his constituents. “Senator Leahy’s impact on the increased availability of quality youth mentoring at a time when our communities need it most will be felt for years to come as we work to strengthen the supports our young people need to strive and thrive in an ever-changing world,” said MENTOR National CEO David Shapiro.