JUMP mentors, mentees enjoy trip to Plaza Lanes

JUMP program participants prepare for laser tag.

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Karen Fruits reacts with joy at the bowling alley with Ayden and Keith.

Photo Provided

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The JUMP program is one of the many programs at the Montgomery County Youth Service Bureau. It is a one-on-one mentoring program designed to offer children another positive role model in their life and an opportunity to have some fun together. Childhood is fleeting so it’s nice for these kids and their mentors to be able to go out and experience new things. They are creating memories that will last a life time.

As part of the JUMP program, the Youth Service Bureau offers one free monthly group activity to the mentors or mentees in the program. This month was a fun one. The group started off with two rounds of laser tag, pizza and soft drinks, arcade tokens and bowling. The kids and adults all had a blast and many of them tried things they had never done before.

Sara Clapp, the facilitator for the JUMP event said, “Everyone had a great time. I don’t know when I have seen teenagers so happy at an activity before. There was something for everyone at this event.”

The JUMP program is definitely a lot of fun but it is much more than that. It is an opportunity for our youth to try new things and form different ideas about the world in which they live. It is also about having an adult that cares about them and is there to offer support. Studies show that children who have mentors do better in school, get in less trouble and have higher self-esteem.

There are always kids in need of a mentor and it really just takes a bit of time and a kind heart to be a good role model for a child. Contact Jill Hampton if you are interested in becoming a mentor as a single adult or a married couple. You may also contact her if you have a child you would like to enroll in the JUMP Program. REach her at 7656-362-0694, ext. 103, or email her at jill@mcysb.org for more information.

To learn more about the Montgomery County Youth Service Bureau, visit www.mcysb.org or visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/mcysb.org.

The Montgomery County Youth Service Bureau is a United Funds Partner Agency.