Charleston’s Be A Mentor program plans mentor appreciation celebration Wednesday

Charleston’s Be A Mentor program will host a mentor appreciation celebration Wednesday night.

The event from 6-7:30 p.m. in the cafeteria of the School of the Arts/Academic Magnet High School is expected to draw hundreds of mentor volunteers and other supporters, according to the organization.

Be A Mentor was established in 2004 with a gift from philanthropist Foster Friess. The organization works with Charleston’s leading youth-mentoring programs by recruiting and referring mentors to participate in various initiatives. Be A Mentor also works with schools to establish in-school mentoring programs that serve hundreds of students throughout Charleston and Berkeley Counties.

It matches qualified and screened adult volunteers with young people, giving priority to children with an incarcerated parent, foster children and children who are bullied.

Last year, Be A Mentor secured new partnerships with Robert Bosch Corporation and Trident Health System and expanded its relationships with South Carolina Federal Credit Union, The GEL Group Inc., and Joint Base Charleston.

“Mentoring is a simple, but powerful act. Just a few hours each month spent talking and sharing between a caring mentor and a child transforms two lives — the mentor’s and the child’s,” said Jerry Young, the program’s executive director, in a statement. “Mentoring breaks down barriers between us and builds on the best of our strengths. It’s one of the most effective paths toward meaningful community development we have in the Lowcountry.”

Event sponsors include Rick Hendrick Imports, The GEL Group Inc., S.C. Federal Credit Union, Charleston Marine Containers Inc. and Bank of America.

To learn more about Be A Mentor, visit www.BeAMentorNow.org or call 843-554-5987.