AUBURN – January is National Mentoring Month. The Child Health Center in Oxford and Auburn oversees the largest mentoring program in Maine, serving more than 600 mentoring matches throughout Oxford, Androscoggin and southern Franklin counties.

The Big Brothers Big Sisters Program has been matching children ages 7 to 12 with volunteers since 1991. In 2009 the volunteer Bigs, who hale from local high schools, colleges, businesses and the community, realized more than 9,000 hours of mentoring.

The programs offered under the Child Health Center include site-based mentoring, traditional community mentoring and several after-school programs.

The Big Brothers Big Sisters Program offers a variety of mentoring partnerships, which help young people succeed in life. The mentoring relationships help give young people the confidence, resources and skills they need to reach their potential.

The site-based programs are structured and help form a trusting relationship that brings elementary and middle school youth together with a caring high school or college student or adult. The volunteer Bigs spend an hour a week with a child at a local elementary or middle school where Bigs and Littles work together on the Little’s school assignments, play board games or talk.

The center also offers a more traditional community-based mentoring program in which adults share community-wide experiences with their Little Brother or Sister. In winter they may go skiing, sliding or ice fishing, while others may stay indoors and watch movies or football games.

As participants, both benefit. Big Brothers and Big Sisters say they come away with a better appreciation of students, they feel better about themselves for having an impact on another’s life and they learn more about themselves.

To learn more about mentoring in a community, contact Big Brothers Big Sisters at 743-7035 in Oxford County, 782-5437 in Androscoggin and southern Franklin counties or e-mail [email protected].