(Madison County) Wednesday, July 24, Community Action Partnership’s Mentoring Program staff, along with 33 mentors and mentees, enjoyed the first-ever Mentoring Beach Day at Verona Beach State Park. Mentors and mentees joined together in great team building games with a special balloon relay race and a group game that pitted the mentors against the mentees to see who could work together the best to win.
Dennis Hoover, CAP’s Mentoring Program Supervisor said, “Having the chance to gather everyone in the program during the summer was a great way for some fun and an opportunity to build our team. These memories and connections help create meaningful partnerships between our mentors and mentees.”
Despite the colder summer temperatures of the evening, most mentees spent some time in the water together and playing on the beach. The mentees were having such a good time that many didn’t want to leave when the beach was ready to close. It was a great time of socializing and building on great relationships between both the mentees and with their mentors.
Community Action Partnership’s Mentoring Program reaches out to approximately 40-60 Madison County youth each year, bringing activities to inspire and educate the youth in the area. CAP is funded in part by the Madison County Youth Bureau, United Way of Greater Oneida and Madison County Department of Social Service, all playing their part in creating positive social interactions and developmental programs for the youth. As any parent knows, it only takes one caring person to make a difference in the life of a youth. That person could be you! If you have as little as an hour a week, please consider becoming a mentor to a local youth in need of support. Contact Dennis Hoover at (315) 697-3588 ext. 38 or visit www.capmadco.org for more information.