Dear Trusted Mentors

"I would like to thank you for your services. Most of all I am thankful for my mentor for helping me realize that I am someone and not a nobody."

This is what we recently received from "Larry", a man who moved into his first apartment at the age of 50. His mentor has changed his feeling that he's a No-body. The support of his mentor has helped Larry remain housed, live independently and give back to his community after being homeless in Indianapolis.

Larry went on to write that his mentor makes him feel "positive" about his life and his progress and most of all he helps him feel "happy and at-peace."

How important is a mentor? In a recent survey of adults who had a mentor from Trusted Mentors, 86% responded that having a mentor reduced loneliness and increased their confidence! Having a friend to talk to and having personal confidence are of vital importance to the success of at-risk individuals.

Mentoring works. Just ask Larry.

Jail Release Just the Start on the Road to Redemption

Click on the link below to read the story of one man who made the tough decisions, formed the support network and regained the trust necessary to rebuild his life after incarceration.

Life after incarceration is rarely easy. But with determination and a little support, a better life is possible.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/15/jail-release-just-the-sta_n_389499.html

January Training Dates

January Mentor Training Dates have been scheduled. The January training will be held at the Trusted Mentors office, located in Fountain Square, 872 Virginia Ave.

Mentor Training and Orientation Seminar

Wednesday, January 13 2010
6-8pm

Monday, January 25 2010
6-8pm

Please join us to learn more about how you can prevent homelessness in Indianapolis!

Annual Thank a Mentor Celebration.... January 20, 2010

Trusted Mentors will hold its annual Thank a Mentor Celebration on January 20, 2010 at Immanuel UCC. The celebration is always held during the week of National Thank Your Mentor Day (January 22nd).

We are pleased to have Mark Nicholson join us to share the story of his journey from homelessness to successful lawyer. Mark will discuss the importance that his mentor played in that journey. It is a truly inspirational story and we hope you can join us for an evening of celebration! Dinner will be served.

As we start a new year, it will be good to hear Mark's story and reflect on our own lives and remember who has helped us through our own struggles. It is also a great time to commit to helping someone else!

For more information, please email Bryan at bhannon@trustedmentors.org

Number of Homeless Students Increases

The number of homeless students in Indiana has increased 12% over the last two school years according to a report released today from the Indiana Youth Institute. During the 2008-2009 school year, there were nearly 8,500 homeless students, up from 7,500 during the '05-'06 school year. It is estimated that 29,000 Hoosier children of all ages are homeless!

Students who experience homelessness are at a big disadvantage compared to their peers. It harms them academically and places a harmful stigma that can affect them for a lifetime.

Homelessness is a serious issue and it can happen to anyone. The economic downturn has put many more families at risk of homelessness. Trusted Mentors is working in Central Indiana to help the people most at-risk of homelessness. Join our efforts as we mentor adults at-risk of homelessness. By helping them, we can help save their children.

Visit our website to learn more.

Mentor Training and Orientation

Trusted Mentors is holding a mentor training and orientation seminar on November 30 and December 14th from 6-8pm at IUCC (402 E. Prospect St.). Please join us to learn more about becoming a volunteer mentor and preventing homelessness in Indianapolis. Check back often for more dates. They are held monthly. For more information, please call 985-5041.

Mentor Training and Orientation

November 30
December 14

6-8pm

Immanuel UCC
402 E. Prospect St.

A Success Story

In June 2009 Sandy, an ex-offender, was referred to Trusted Mentors from a local agency working to promote the economic independence of disadvantaged women in our community. When Sandy was referred she was employed full-time and working toward her goal of owning her own business.

Days after her referral, she was matched with her mentor, Teresa, a local small business owner. Teresa has offered her insights and experiences as a small business owner to help Sandy develop a business plan; she has also been there for Sandy as she works to rebuild her life after incarceration. Sandy says that Teresa has helped her remain positive and focused on the future.

Facing poverty, unemployment, and a criminal record, Sandy could have given up. Instead, through focus, hard work, a positive attitude, and the insights of a mentor, she has set herself up for success.

Great Job, Sandy! And Thank You, Teresa!

Trusted Mentors at Indianapolis Peace Institute

Please feel free to stop by the Indianapolis Peace Institute on Thursday, November 16th from 12-1:30 for "Networking with a Soul." Trusted Mentors will be there to present our agency and talk about the issue of homelessness and how it impacts our local community.

The Peace Institute is a great resource in the Indianapolis community. They hold their brownbag networking events on the 3rd Thursday of every month! You can visit their website here.

Join Us During National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week

What better time to join the efforts of Trusted Mentors than during National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week (November 15-21)?

On November 16th, Trusted Mentors will be at the IUPUI Service Fair located at the Campus Center, Rm CE148. Join us to learn more about Trusted Mentors and all the other city-wide efforts to fight hunger and homelessness!

On November 17th, Trusted Mentors will hold a Mentor Info and Training Seminar, from 6-8pm at Immanuel UCC (402 E. Prospect St.). Come learn about becoming a mentor to someone at-risk.

There is no better awareness than prevention, so join us as we work to prevent homelessness in Indianapolis.

To learn more visit our website www.trustedmentors.org or call 985-5041.

Just a Reminder

If you have been using the www.trustedpartnersindy.org web address to access Trusted Mentors' homepage, please note that you must begin using www.trustedmentors.org, as most of you have.

The former address will expire so, be sure to bookmark Trusted Mentors under www.trustedmentors.org

Thanks for stopping by!

Recognizing Accomplishments

Trusted Mentors celebrated Recognition Night on October 26. We had a wonderful meal, supplied by Knights of Columbus, a delightful speaker, and enjoyed hearing the accomplishments of mentees over the last few months.

Linda shared the story of Sharrone, her mentee. In recent months, Sharrone has excelled in advancing her goals. She has re-established her nursing license, reduced debt, received job offers in the nursing field, and shared her story at the annual Bags 2 Riches Gala!

Sharrone has put her life on a great path and has set herself up for success! Congratulations, Sharrone! Keep up the good work--it's inspiring!

Fountain Square "Scare in the Square"

Trusted Mentors is located in the beautiful neighborhood of Fountain Square and we encourage you to bring your kids to Fountain Square on Halloween! Over 400 kids will converge on the Square on October 31 for trick-or-treating and "Scare in the Square" To learn more visit www.discoverfountainsquare.com

Scary Thought for Halloween!

Halloween is just around the corner! It's a time of season for scary stories, scary costumes, and scary movies! But here is a scary statistic that rings true during all seasons:

45,000 families in Central Indiana are one paycheck away from becoming homeless! That is frightening!

Trusted Mentors is working to help some of those families by providing them with mentors that are there to be supportive as they strive to avoid the vicious cycle of homelessness.

Mentor Training at IUL

Hi Everyone!

On Monday night Trusted Mentors held a training and info seminar at Indianapolis Urban League. We had a great space provided by IUL. Thanks, Kevin and Pambana! We also had a great turnout! You can join us next week, Monday, October 19 from 5:30-7:30 at IUL for Part B of our two part training series.

Come learn about the populations that Trusted Mentors serves and what you can do to help individuals at-risk of becoming homeless. Pass the word along!

To learn more call Bryan @ 317-985-5041 or email bhannon@trustedmentors.org

Bags 2 Riches

The 2009 Bags 2 Riches is in the books! Many thanks to Healing Arts Indy and JP Parker Flowers for providing us with some wonderful space.

Thank you to our sponsors, supporters and attendees. We also wish to thank all of our handbag designers. Thank you for your time, effort, and donation. There were many great handbags this year and they were a big draw.

You can check out all the great handbags at www.bags2richesindy.org.

Last, but certainly not least, thank you to all of our great volunteers. The event was possible because of you. All of your hard work and many hours made Bags 2 Riches 2009 a special event. Whether you sat on the planning committee, modeled a handbag, or broke down a table, your effort was invaluable.

Thank You Wal-Mart Foundation

We would like to thank the Wal-Mart Foundation for its generous financial support of Trusted Mentors and our mission to prevent homelessness in Indianapolis! Because of Wal-Mart's donation and others like it, we are able to continue our work for a better community. Thank you!

Trusted Mentors and Indianapolis Urban League

Trusted Mentors is happy to announce that it will hold its October trainings in conjunction with the Indianapolis Urban League. IUL has provided valuable community services to minority men and women in our community for nearly 40 years. Their services have helped the disadvantaged gain economic and social equality within the Indianapolis community. And we are proud to be partnering with the IUL this month to recruit and train new mentors that will help individuals at-risk of homelessness.

Trusted Mentors, partnering with Indianapolis Urban League, will work to provide mentors to the truly at-risk, including ex-offenders and other individuals that face obstacles to a healthy, sustainable life.

Join us on October 12 and 19 from 5:30-7:30 at IUL, 777 Indiana Ave., 46202 to learn more about how you can get involved and help your community!

September's Lunch Hour Training

Thursday, September 17 is the last lunch-hour training taking place at Bingham McHale. If you missed the first two, you can still stop by Bingham McHale (10 W. Market St.) on 9/17 from 12-1 pm to learn more about Trusted Mentors and what you need to do to get involved! Learn how you can help reduce homelessness in our community and get a free lunch!

B2R, Handbags and Another Sponsor

You can view the top ten bags at www.bags2richesindy.org The judges have selected the 10 best handbags, now it is your turn to vote for your favorite, or the "Most Original." There are some beautiful, unique, and well-designed bags this year! You can purchase votes online. Remember all proceeds benefit Trusted Mentors and our mission to prevent homelessness. If you join us at the Gala you could also leave with your own unique handbag.

Bags2Riches is on September 25. Invites have been sent out and posters are being displayed. We invite you to our annual fundraiser. You can purchase tickets online, or give us a call at 985-5041. We have also added an additional sponsor for the event. The delicious Iozzo's Garden of Italy joins Shapiro's, Greek Islands, Sun King Brewing, National Wine and Spirits, Mallow Run Winery, Goldman Jewelry, Donna Rice Photography, National Bank of Indianapolis, JP Parker Flowers, Healing Arts Indy, Citizens Energy, IBJ and Drall Performance Solutions as a sponsor for this years event!

With all of these great sponsors, it has to be a good event! Join us. Donate to a worthy cause and have some fun!

Odds and Ends

We finally received our new brochures yesterday! They have been long awaited for our volunteer recruitment efforts. If anyone is interested we would be happy to give you a handful to pass along to friends or coworkers. Remember: we always need new volunteers!

Bags2Riches is quickly approaching. We still need a few volunteers for the gala and fashion show. It is going to be a great evening and if you would like to volunteer you can get in for FREE! Food, prizes, games, fashion, art.... you name it and we've got it. To learn more visit www.bags2richesindy.org

We are also very excited about our September training(s). We are trying a new approach. We will offer a training series downtown during the noon hour. The dates are September 8, 10 and 17 at Bingham McHale. This is a great opportunity for anyone who works downtown, but also would like to learn more about how they can get involved in our effort to prevent homelessness. The best part is that lunch will be provided! To learn more about the trainings or RSVP email Bryan at bhannon@trustedmentors.org

Remember: spread the word, share your suggestions and stay in touch!

August Training and Info Seminar

It's that time again! On August 27th, Trusted Mentors will offer a Training and Info seminar for all individuals interested in making a difference and preventing homelessness. The training will offer more information on becoming a volunteer mentor and how you can make a difference in the life of an at-risk adult.

Join us on August 27 from 5:30-8:30 @ North United Methodist Church (38th and Meridian) We will have refreshments available and a bunch of good information.

Blog Indiana 2009

I attended the Blog Indiana 2009 Non-Profit Summit on Friday. It was a wonderful event that featured great speakers and bright ideas. Trusted Mentors is continuing to improve our social networking and blogging capabilities. If you have any suggestions, please don't hesitate to offer them. We want to keep you updated about our organization, our mission, and our successes, so let us know if you have any ideas on how to keep you better informed!

Recognition

On Wednesday evening we celebrated the accomplishments of many individuals. Lee continues to excel and is beginning his second semester at IUPUI. Ivory has found a job and has a 4.0 GPA, and Lisa is close to owning her own home. All of these mentees have accomplished many great things, and we are proud of them. We are also very proud of the volunteer mentors who have been there to help them and encourage them as they take the next step!

Recognition Night

Recognition Night is coming up. Join us on August 5th as we celebrate the accomplishments of mentors and mentees. Dinner will be served and a guest speaker will talk to us about communication skills. For more information contact bhannon@trustedmentors.org.

Location Change

The location for the July training has changed. We will now be having the monthly training at Immanuel United Church of Christ (402 Prospect St., 46225), not at Homeless and Reentry Helpers.

Date: July 29
Time: 5:30-8:30
Place: Immanuel UCC

July Training Seminar

Our July Mentor Training is scheduled for Wednesday, July 29. Attend this training if you would like to learn more about Trusted Mentors and what you can do to help prevent homelessness in our community.

Date: July 29
Time: 5:30-8:30
Place: Homeless and Reentry Helpers, 3936 Pendleton Way, 46226

Moving!

Trusted Mentors is moving to a new location. We have outgrown our current office space and needed some room to expand. Our new location is 872 Virginia Ave. in Fountain Square. We will be posting pictures of the new place soon!

June Mentor Training

Mark your calendars! We will be holding our next training seminar for interested volunteers on Tuesday, June 23 at the Knights of Columbus on Thompson Road. Come join us to find out how you can make a difference in preventing homelessness. Anyone interested in becoming a mentor, or learning more about the Trusted Mentors program is welcome to join.

What: Training Seminar
Where: Knights of Columbus, 511 E. Thompson Rd., Indianapolis, IN
When: 5:30
Why: To prevent homelessness one person at a time!

2009 Homeward Bound Walk

Thank you to everyone who came out to support Trusted Mentors at the 2009 Homeward Bound Walk on June 14! Whether you walked, donated money, or helped collect funds your support is greatly appreciated.

Though it was a gray, overcast day we were able to dodge the rain showers and spirits remained high!

Don't forget that donations will be accepted until the end of the month at www.homewardboundindiana.org Even if you have already given, pass the info along to a friend and let them know about this worthy cause.

Thank you again!

April Mentor Training

Trusted Mentors' next training will be on Wednesday, April 22nd, from 5:30-8:30 p.m. at the Old National Bank Community Room, 6135 N. College Avenue. Come join us to find out how you can make a difference in preventing homelessness. For more information, contact Candice at 985-3468 or candice@trustedmentors.org.

Mentoring Inspiration

Interested in reading about others' mentoring experiences? Check out The Soloist, by Steven Lopez, or Same Kind of Different As Me, by Ron Hall and Denver Moore. The Soloist is an account of how Mr. Lopez, a Los Angeles "Time" journalist befriends and informally mentors a homeless man. The other book is a mentor's and mentee's description of how their relationship developed over time.
Both books describe many experiences similar to those mentors and mentees with Trusted Mentors. The rewards and challenges of mentoring are well described.

Recogntion Night Rescheduled

Our January Recogntion Night and 5th Anniversary has been rescheduled for Tuesday, April 28th. The speaker will be Mr. Joe Cooper, a formerly homeless, illiterate man who has overcome many obstacles to be an employed, literate, and stable member of our community. We'll have a delicious meal provided by Second Helpings and recognize our mentees for all that they've accomplished. Come join us! From 6:30-8:00 p.m. at Immanuel United Church of Christ, 402 E. Prospect Street, 46225. FMI contact Candice at 985-3468 or candice@trustedmentors.org.

Our next training is scheduled for Monday, March 23rd from 5:30-8:30pm at Immanuel United Church of Christ, 402 E. Prospect, 46225. Any one interested in knowing more about mentoring for Trusted Mentors is welcome to join us.





Homeward Bound Walk is coming on Sunday, June 14th at 2:00pm. Go to http://www.homewardboundindiana.org/ for more information.

5TH ANNIVERSARY AND THANK A MENTOR DAY

Our 5th Anniversary and Thank a Mentor Day was cancelled, so we'll share our message on the blog. Thank you to all the mentors, present and past, who helped us reached this important milestone.! It's your commitment that makes the difference.

We celebrate our new name ... "Trusted Mentors"

Our name says what we do.... we mentor

We celebrate our new tagline: Trusted Mentors.. stabilizing lives, preventing homelessness tells more about what we do. We work with 12 different agencies, with a wide variety of people. Not everyone has been homeless, but for some it is a reality and for others it is a risk to be faced.

Trusted Mentors has been awarded a City Crime Prevention Grant. Not everyone we mentor has been in prison, but for some it isa reality and for others it is a risk to be faced.



At Trusted Mentors, we come together to stabilize lives....

to learn from each other...

to build strengths ... so that the risk of homelessness is decreased and the risk of being in the criminal justice system is lessened ....

so that the ability to live independent, self-sufficient lives is realized to the best of our abilities.

THANK YOU MENTORS!

Trusted Mentors 5th Anniversary & Recognition Night

Please join us to
* Celebrate our 5th anniversary
* Observe National Mentoring Month
* Enjoy a meal by Second Helpings
* Hear an inspiring story of overcoming difficulty
* Recognize mentees & mentors

Guests are welcome.
Date: Tuesday, January 27th Time: 6:30 PM
Location: Immanuel UCC, 402 E. Prospect Street
Contact: Candice Brisson Monteith, 985-3468,
candice@trustedmentors.org
Speaker: An inspirational and motivational speaker, Mr. Joe Cooper, is formerly homeless, illiterate and addicted. Now he's employed, literate and a homeowner. Come be inspired by his story!

Hello!
Welcome to Trusted Mentors blog! We will be using this to keep you informed on mentoring training, Homeward Bound Walk, Bags 2 Riches, and many more events held by Trusted Mentors.

Thank you for your time and help in stabilizing lives and preventing homelessness.

Jeri and Candice