Crafting a successful future – the art of mentoring

Sonoma is a unique and caring community, and that’s why many local children have an extra adult role model in their lives. These adults spend one-on-one time with a child who needs and wants a mentor.  Sonoma’s ‘Stand By Me’ Mentoring Alliance has a waiting list of children that continues to grow.  The goal is to match each child on the list, so there is always a need for more mentors. 
Mentoring, according to Program Director Tina Baldry, is “about creating relationships that last, supporting a child in discovering & building upon their strengths, encouraging them to set goals, and helping them to succeed in school and in life.”

Stand By Me is working hard to create those relationships. The alliance has paired over 425 children with adult role models from the Sonoma community.

Stand By Me offers training for volunteer mentors. Each match meets one hour per week at one of the eight mentor centers. Additionally, there are a variety of after-school enrichment programs for mentors and mentees.

The alliance has also launched a new program called “Road Map to Your Future” to connect middle- and high-school mentees with local professionals. The program teaches business and employment skills and offers job-shadowing opportunities.

Local artist and volunteer mentor Francine Gourguechon became involved with Stand By Me after relocating to Sonoma from Chicago 18 months ago. “I think it’s an amazing program,” says Gourguechon, who mentors a local middleschooler.

“She is so bright,” Gourguechon says of her mentee. “I take her to the farmer’s market or to an art show or stuff she would never have access to. She needs to see that there is other stuff that she can do in life.”

Theresa Deere and Mike Robertori own Villa Terrazza Patio & Home in Sonoma. Many of their customers volunteer as mentors with Stand By Me. Like Gourguechon, Deere and Robertori understand the difference a mentor can make in a child’s life, and although they can’t commit the time to volunteer as mentors at the moment they are eager to support the mentoring alliance.

To help raise funds for Stand By Me, Villa Terrazza host an art event with Gourguechon at Villa Terrazza on Dec. 11 and 12 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Gourguechon will create original mosaic art at Villa Terrazza. The finished mosaic will be sold by auction and proceeds donated to the Stand By Me mentoring alliance.

The organizers hope the event will raise community awareness of the mentoring alliance while also introducing residents to mosaic art. All Sonoma residents are invited to stop by Villa Terrazza to see Gourguechon in action.

Villa Terrazza is located at 869 Broadway in Sonoma (six blocks south of the Plaza). For details about the event, contact Tony Navarra at 933.8286. For information about the Stand By Me mentoring alliance, contact Tina Baldry at 996.6843.