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Youth First Mentoring presents expansion plan to Barre City Council, seeks sustained funding
Summary
Sally Russell of Youth First Mentoring summarized a year of local expansion into Barre City: 9 families contacted, 3 matches placed with capacity to serve more if funding and staff are added. The nonprofit requested help with local outreach and town funding options to reach a target to hire part‑time staff.
Sally Russell, program director for Youth First Mentoring, briefed the Barre City Council on Jan. 28 about the nonprofit’s first year of outreach in the city and a request for funding and referrals to increase capacity.
Russell said the program is community‑based, serving youth ages 8 to 18, and reported that in Barre City she has had contact with nine families and placed three mentor pairs so far, with two additional placements pending. She said the organization currently manages 21 mentor matches across its service area and could operate about 26 matches before program quality would be affected.
Why it matters: mentors are matched adults who provide ongoing one‑to‑one support to young people; Russell cited research linking mentoring to higher education rates and long‑term earnings gains and said Youth First provides camp scholarships, music lessons and other enrichment funds for families who could not otherwise afford them.
Key points from the presentation - Funding and capacity: Russell said the program’s per‑match direct cost is roughly $1,800–$2,000 per year and that her immediate goal is to “anchor about $25,000 more in our revenue” to hire a part‑time worker focused on local recruitment and support (about 20 hours/week). - Local funding mix: current local support includes grants from Mentor Vermont, a prevention grant administered by the United Way (LPO), and an enrichment grant from the Vermont Children’s Trust; the organization raises the remainder via appeals and business donations. - Community ask: Russell requested that the city acknowledge the program publicly, assist with introductions to local youth‑serving organizations and consider municipal funding. Councilors discussed the option of helping the nonprofit get a question on a local ballot; councilors offered to help collect signatures for a warrant article if Youth First chose that path.
Council response Council members praised the program’s outcomes and suggested outreach to civic groups (Rotary, Kiwanis, Lions) and to the school system and local service providers to increase referrals and recruit mentors. One councilor noted that a small municipal appropriation could leverage matching private and grant dollars.
Ending: Russell said she would follow up with councilors about specific contacts and welcomed invitations to civic groups and local meetings; she left her email address in the meeting packet for members of the public.
