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Vineland honors Mentor on the Green; founder describes golf mentorship program for county youth
Summary
The Vineland City Council presented a resolution recognizing Mentor on the Green, a golf-based mentorship program led by James Cooper that serves children from multiple South Jersey counties and partners with schools and community groups.
The Vineland City Council on May 13 recognized Mentor on the Green, a nonprofit that uses golf to provide mentorship, life‑skills coaching and exposure for inner‑city youth. The council adopted a ceremonial resolution honoring the program and its mentors; program founder James Cooper described the organization's activities and partnerships.
James Cooper told the council the program launched in July at Eastland Golf Course and later ran indoor sessions at the Alm Center. He said Mentor on the Green runs 10‑week sessions, aims to keep groups to about 50 children per session because of transportation limits, and serves youth from Vineland as well as Millville, Bridgeton and counties including Atlantic, Gloucester and Salem. Cooper said the program recently received two donated 15‑passenger vans from Union Baptist Temple Church and completed a fundraiser to install identifying wraps on the vehicles.
"It's not just about the game of golf, it's about the game of life," Cooper said, describing weekly sessions that pair golf instruction with guest speakers such as doctors, judges and college students who mentor participants.
Cooper and the program noted a recent partnership with Wildwood Public Schools to deliver Mentor on the Green as an after‑school option and said the program is pursuing connections with college EOF (Educational Opportunity Fund) programs to recruit student leaders to run after‑school sites.
Council members praised the program during the meeting. Councilman English commended Cooper's persistence and community impact, and Councilman Vargas highlighted the role of parents and education in supporting the youth and thanked mentors and volunteers. The council voted 5–0 to adopt the resolution recognizing Mentor on the Green and to present certificates to mentors and participants.
Background and program details from the presentation - Typical session length: 10 weeks. - Target cohort size: around 50 children per session (driven by transportation capacity). - Recent donations: two 15‑passenger vans from Union Baptist Temple Church; fundraising paid for vehicle wraps. - Partners mentioned: Eastland Golf Course (program origin), Alm Center (indoor sessions), Wildwood Public Schools (after‑school adoption), Union Baptist Temple Church. - Retention note: Cooper reported roughly 85% of participants return for subsequent sessions.
The council presented certificates to mentors and invited several mentees and mentors to the dais. The recognition was ceremonial; no fiscal appropriation was recorded in the meeting minutes for the program.
