The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office is holding a class later this month to to prepare volunteers to become mentors for children with an incarcerated parent.
The program is called Central Oregon Partnerships for Youth (COPY). Volunteers are matched with a child in Bend, Redmond, Sisters or LaPine that share similar interests and activities and commit to spending a few hours a week together for a minimum of one year. DCSO says the time is often spent on outside activities, exploring the community, doing art or craft projects, or simply hanging out and talking.
But first, there is initial training and a background check.
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A volunteer training class is being held on Saturday, April 22. DCSO says the 3½ hour class covers program policies, Q&A from a current volunteer, how to establish a mentor relationship, the impact incarceration has on families, communication skills, and the stages of a mentoring relationship.
The free program requires advance registration.
More information can be found by calling 541-388-6651 or emailing COPY@deschutes.org Additional program information is available at the Sheriff’s Office web site at www.sheriff.deschutes.org/copy.
