Winneshiek County Proclaims January as National Mentoring Month

our contribution today guarantees Decorah News is asking the questions tomorrow. Act now. DECORAH — The Winneshiek County Board of Supervisors on Monday formally proclaimed January 2026 as National Mentoring Month, recognizing the long-running mentoring work of Helping Services for Youth and Families and calling on residents to support mentoring efforts across the county. The proclamation was presented during the board's regular meeting as representatives from Helping Services outlined the scope and impact of their local mentoring program, which has operated in Winneshiek County for 28 years. The proclamation states that mentors provide a highly valued source of friendship and support to youth and that research shows mentoring is an effective strategy for preventing challenges young people face. By adopting the proclamation, supervisors urged citizens to raise awareness of mentoring and help recruit additional mentors to meet growing needs in the county. Helping Services Mentoring Coordinator Colinne McCann said mentoring participation in Winneshiek County continues to increase. The program currently has 14 active mentor-youth matches, with eight additional youth waiting to be paired with a mentor. The program serves children ages 6 through 17. Mentoring is offered through both community-based and school-based models. Community-based mentors commit to spending a minimum of four hours per month with a child, meeting in the community for activities such as fishing, games or other shared interests. School-based mentoring is conducted at Decorah Community School District, South Winneshiek Elementary and Postville Community School District. McCann said school-based mentoring has helped make volunteering more accessible by providing both a structured setting and predictable schedule, which they hope will help reduce the waiting list of youth seeking mentors. She also described the long-term impact of mentoring relationships, noting that some former mentees later return to the program as adult mentors. Mentors receive an initial interview, background screening and a two-hour training session, along with ongoing education throughout the year on topics such as substance use prevention and youth development. Youth Mentoring Stats According to statistics presented by McCann at the meeting, during 2025: 96% of youth involved have positive relationships with others. 96% of youth involved can say "no" to alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. 90% of youth involved said mentoring strengthened their social skills. 74% of youth involved said school attendance improved. As part of National Mentoring Month, Helping Services announced several upcoming events, including a family movie day at the Decorah movie theater, a group outing to a rodeo in February and the organization's annual Bowl-a-Thon fundraiser in March to support mentoring programs. Following the reading of the proclamation, the board unanimously approved it. Helping Services representatives thanked the board for its continued support and emphasized that community involvement remains critical as mentoring demand continues to grow in Winneshiek County. To learn more about how to become a mentor, visit www.helpingservices.org/mentoring. Your weekly dose of local life! Subscribe to the free newsletter and enjoy news, analysis, and stories you'll actually look forward to reading.