The potential demise of the Community Mentor Connection program with the departure of its coordinator and full funding should spur community groups and local government officials into action.

While a task force is exploring options, it is unlikey any group will have the courage to take on the program, fearing a withdrawal of the limited money available for its implementation.

Funding was initially supplied through a Freeborn County Family Services Collaborative, which ran out in June. Since then, some money has been offered by the county, a $5,000 grant from the Kennth W. Olson Foundation was received and the Albert Lea Medical Center and several local organizations have made smaller donations to the program.

As coordinator Julie Mehle demonstrated so well over the past eight years, the mentoring program requires a paid position to match up kids with adults, recruit mentors and write grants for additional funding.

However, the benfits are are well worth the expense:

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Increased grade point averages.

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Reduced truancy and suspensions, which means kids are less likely to enter the legal system.

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Opportunity to develop social skills.

Mehle, through the progam matched 23 students with mentors this year, while another 42 students remain on the waiting list.

The YMCA, among others, was approached to incorporate the program. While it sounds like an ideal fit, given the Y’s strong emphasis on helping kids succeed, the YMCA can’t afford to absorb the cost of running the program. We suspect finances are a concern for other groups with an interest in seeing the program continue.

Mehle poses a challenging question: Will the county do what’s necessary to keep the program here? It is certainly in their best interests to do so to lessen the possiblity of kids showing up in the court system.

Working together, we trust the county and community organizations will find the creative solution necessary &045; perhaps by sharing the cost &045; to keep this program running, to the benefit of kids and ultimately, the community.