The Kindness of Strangers: Adult Mentors, Urban Youth, and the New Volunteerism

In the examples of adult mentor-youth relationships presented by Freedman, who is on the staff of Public/Private Ventures, a Philadelphia research organization that focuses on youngsters in poverty, we hear from eight men and women who ``answered the call.'' They describe their not unqualified successes in helping young people through volunteer projects, and the strength of their commitment as mentors. An overview of various programs throughout the country--I have a Dream, One-on-One, Project RAISE--discusses various strategies of outreach to youth. Mentors are often challenged to the point of frustration, yet their experience of small victories and subtle changes in their young mentees are inspiring. As Freedman notes, ``Mentoring enables us to participate in the essential but unfinished drama of reinventing community, while reaffirming that there is an important role for each of us in it.'' (Sept.)