Children Needing Mentors in Lane County

Have you always wondered about becoming a mentor, but did not know if you would be a good match for a child? Now you don't have to! You can read short biographies of children waiting for mentors by visiting our website. We have boys and girls waiting in Lane County and beyond. Learn about mentor youth that share your interests by reading below!

Children Needing Mentors in Lane County

Connie* is a 16-year-old girl that is into soccer, volleyball and basketball. She enjoys being outside, and lives in the Cottage Grove area.  She likes to read and write. She expresses herself through her art work. She draws, paints, and does pottery. When the weather is bad she likes to watch movies, and arts and crafts. Connie is very sarcastic and adventurous. She would like to learn how to play the viola or the clarinet. During the holidays she enjoys being with her family. She likes all animals except horses. She lives with 3 dachshunds, and guinea pigs. When she grows up she wants to be either a vet tech or photographer. Connie would benefit from a female mentor who can help her transition into adulthood and teach her important life skills.       Peter* is a 15-year-old boy living in Springfield. Peter is a social and athletic teen, who's favorite sports team is the Ducks. He enjoys spending time with his brother and his friends, particularly when they are playing football or basketball. Peter likes fishing as well. Peter also enjoys studying the Bible and hopes to become a clergy member as an adult. Peter enjoys comedy and likes telling jokes; joking is a part of how he expresses himself! Peter is interested in learning about new activities, and likes to have meaningful conversations with individuals. He spends a lot of time with his brother, but would like guidance and support from a more experienced individual. Peter would like a male mentor who is easy to talk to. Mitchell* is a 12-year-old boy living in Springfield. Mitchell is looking for a mentor that loves to scooter! In his spare time Mitchell enjoys going to the skate park, playing basketball and soccer. His favorite types of movies are cartoon and action.  Mitchell's favorite food is pizza. Mitchell's favorite basketball teams are the Chicago Bulls and the LA Lakers. "Tyga" is Mitchell's favorite artist, he enjoys listening to rap music. If Mitchell had only a few wishes they would be to get a new scooter and to be on a basketball team. Mitchell's favorite chore is cleaning the living room. His least favorite chore is cleaning his bedroom. Dogs and ferrets are a few of Mitchell's favorite animals. Mitchell would like a male mentor who enjoys watching basketball and is an extrovert. Stephanie* a 13-year-old girl who lives in Eugene. She is shy at first, but opens up once she gets to know you. She is starting high school this year. Math is her favorite subject and she is proud of it. Stephanie likes to cook, dress up, play video games, and do outdoor activities like hide and seek, picnics and swimming. She also likes to just hang out. She is good at cooking French food and wants to go to Paris. Her favorite food is Chinese and she likes to go eat at Olive Garden. When it comes to music, Stephanie likes hip-hop and Bruno Mars, but not country or metal. She likes to read mystery romances. When she grows up, Stephanie wants to be a veterinarian, masseuse or a chef. Her hero is Wonder Woman because she is the only female superhero. For Halloween she wants to be the Queen of Hearts. She loves her dog Kammi and all animals. She would love to go horseback riding or see a tiger. Stephanie has had mentors in the past and wants to build a lasting relationship with someone that will be around long-term. Lance* is a very sweet little boy living in Veneta. In the fall he will be starting 3rd grade. He enjoys recess and is proud of his writing. His favorite football team is the Ducks. He enjoys playing kick ball, soccer, biking and football. He wants to learn how to play basketball, baseball and how to swim. When the weather is rainy he enjoys playing video games in his room (but no violent ones), watching movies, and wrestling. His favorite wrestler is John Cena. Grapes and Mexican food are his favorite things to eat. He likes to express himself through drawing and painting. Lance enjoys reading and is open to all kinds of books. He is very proud of is his ability to do a front flip and handstand on a trampoline. His favorite animals are dogs and cougars. If he could go anywhere he would go to the moon! He likes playing the guitar and listening to any kind of music. Lance would like to own his own drum set. He also enjoys candy and laughing.  When he grows up he wants to be a police officer. He lives with his aunt and so would like a male mentor he can spend some time with. Adam* is a 16-year-old boy living in Springfield. He loves horror movies! His favorite movies are about zombies, he especially enjoys the film "28 Days Later." Adam is very good around animals, he even has two guinea pigs! He enjoys learning about cars as well, and would appreciate a mentor who can teach him about such. Adam also loves fishing, video games, and has a great sense of humor!  Adam would like to spend time with his mentor out in the community just "hanging out." Adam is sarcastic, and would like a mentor who appreciates it. Adam would benefit from a mentor who understands physical disabilities, and can introduce Adam to new experiences.  Eddie* is in fourth grade and is a huge Ducks fan! He is very athletic and funny. He enjoys pizza, action movies, and wants to be a football player when he grows up. Eddie lives in Junction City, and would like a male mentor who shares his love of sports and is outgoing.  Eddie has a number of siblings, and would like a mentor to spend some one-on-one time with him.  Eddie is a dare devil, he wants to try skydiving and ziplining one day! Eddie describes himself as shy, and would like a mentor who is outgoing.  Eddie can have a male or female mentor. He is also a good brother, and is close with his sisters.  Tanner* is a fan of the Miami Heat basketball team. He loves pork chops and lasagna. The Vampire Buffet is his favorite restaurant. Tanner is 15 years old and currently lives in Lane County. If Tanner had a free day he would visit Hawaii or Dubai. Tanner likes any Adam Sandler movies, and he loves to laugh. When Tanner is older he would like to be an architect or an actor. Tanner works very hard on making blueprints and is most proud of art. Language Arts is his favorite subject in school. When asked if he could pick three words to describe himself Tanner chose: smart, athletic, and driven. Tanner would benefit from a male mentor who can help him through his teen years.   Samuel* is a 16-year-old boy living in Eugene. He loves the culinary arts, especially making cream puffs. When Samuel is older he would like to join the military and become a military chef. Samuel enjoys swimming and boating during the summer time. Samuel loves to read. A few of his favorite books are the Hunger Games series, Aragon and the Hobbit. Samuel likes to play video games, his favorite indoor game is Pathfinder. Thanksgiving is Samuel's favorite holiday because of the food, he especially enjoys the stuffing. Samuel likes Pink Floyd and would like to learn to play the guitar. Family Guy, South Park and American Dad are a few of Samuel's favorite TV shows. Samuel was excited when the Ravens won the Super bowl, they are his favorite football team. His favorite college football team is the Oregon Ducks. Samuel would like a male or female mentor that is kind and can help him with his homework. Samantha* is a 13-year-old girl who lives in Springfield, and has a variety of interests. She likes to draw, and is a talented artist. Samantha also enjoys watching TV and playing video games, particularly Mario games. She likes to cook as well, and her favorite food is chicken. When Samantha is not cooking, she likes to go to Five Guys Burgers and Fries for a burger. Samantha is very funny, she frequently makes herself and her sisters laugh. Samantha does not often spend time outdoors, but when she does she likes swimming and playing basketball with her friends. Samantha loves to shop and try different hairstyles as well as listen to Justin Bieber. Samantha appreciates music, and would like to learn how to play the guitar, the piano, and the recorder. Samantha would like to visit Africa one day, and hopes to see a tiger. She would like a female mentor who likes humor and shopping. Travis* is a 7-year-old boy living in Eugene. Travis loves to play football and wrestle with his friends. Travis loves eating ice cream cake, pudding and pizza. McDonalds, Taco Bell and Subway are a few of his favorite places to eat. Travis would love to become a Navy Seal when he gets older as well as a football player. Travis enjoys watching Power Rangers and likes all kid movies. Math and recess are Travis' favorite subjects in school. Going on car rides and wrestling are a few of his favorite activities. Travis loves animals, his favorite animal is a chicken.  Something Travis would like to learn how to do would be back flips, he would also like to try fishing.  Travis is most proud of his dirt biking and normal biking skills. Travis describes himself as sometimes being shy at first, he would like his mentor to be good at bumper cars and fishing. If Travis could have any pet he would want to have a lion. Travis would benefit from a male or female mentor who is active. Jeremy* is a very intelligent 14-year-old boy who will be transitioning into high school next year. He lives in Springfield, and likes to ride his bike around his neighborhood. Jeremy loves baseball, video games, reading, math, and science. One of Jeremy's favorite activities is going to PK Park to watch Emeralds games. Jeremy likes going to the beach and fishing, as well as swimming, hiking, and watching Duck games. His favorite kinds of movies include action, comedies, and family films. He enjoys the occasional horror movie, but comedies are his favorite. When Jeremy grows up he hopes to join the military and then become a member of the Secret Service. Before doing so, he wants to attend college at either Oregon State University or the University of Oregon. His favorite kinds of music include rock, country, rap, and classical. Jeremy is very active, funny, and smart, and would appreciate a male mentor who will spend time with him out in the community and help him through his high school years. Trentin* is a 13-year-old middle school student living in Springfield. He really enjoys hunting, fishing, woodshop, and the outdoors. He likes school, but was disappointed when woodshop classes were cancelled in his school district. Trentin is a compassionate kid who like spending time outdoors and being amongst animals. He admires Steve Irwin, and even owns his own snake! When the weather is bad and he cannot spend time outside, he likes to play with his pet snake, Lizzy. He also likes to spend his time watching old horror movies, which he finds both funny and frightening. Trentin enjoys reading Steven King novels, and expresses himself through drawing. He also likes to watch football games and hopes to refine his hunting and fishing skills. Trentin is bothered by people who do not appreciate what they have and "complain too much." When he becomes upset or irritated, he usually just walks away from the situation and spends some time alone. Trentin would like a male mentor who enjoys the outdoors, and is not afraid of snakes. Heather* is an energetic 10-year-old living in Veneta. She enjoys sports of all kinds. In the fall she would like to either play soccer or football. Her favorite team is the Ducks. She like jumping on the trampoline and playing wall ball. Heather has a hamster and would like a dog. She enjoys school and her favorite subject is art, specifically drawing hearts. "Total Drama" and "My name is Earl" are examples of the television shows that Heather likes to watch. If she could go anywhere she would go to Antarctica. One of her favorite places to go is to the mall. She enjoys shopping for shoes and toys and that is where she got her ears pierced. She likes swimming and playing on the playground. Some things that she is interested in learning are gymnastics and how to play the drums. Her favorite color is turquoise and her favorite food is bean and cheese burritos. When she grows up she want to be a lawyer.     Hazel* is a 10-year-old tomboy who is interested in learning about "girly" activities. She lives in Springfield and is the youngest of 4 sisters. She enjoys camping, tree climbing, and being outdoors. She also likes to watch wrestling! She has many pet cats, and is very affectionate with them. Hazel can be shy when you first meet her. Hazel also loves to cook, and experiments by making different kinds of cookies. She would like a mentor who enjoys shopping, and who can spend some one on one time with her. Hazel can be very rambunctious, and would be well served by a patient and understanding mentor. Mattie* is an active 7-year-old living in Springfield. She plays baseball, softball and will be in Girl Scouts when school starts in the fall. Sometimes she watches sports. She wants to learn to swim and loves to play with dogs. In the winter she enjoys drinking hot coco and watching movies like "Rapunzel", other Disney movies and comedies. She also enjoys watching musicals, singing and dancing. Her favorite book is "Diary of a Wimpy Kid." When with friends she likes to relax. If she had a day to do anything she would go to the beach and run in the wet sand. Mattie enjoys theatre and math. She has a very active imagination. Her favorite food is pizza. If she could have two wishes she would be a bird so that she could fly or be other different animals so she could run and be free. She wants to try horseback riding, and hopes to do so with her mentor. She has puppies, a frog, bunnies, and guinea pigs. Mattie enjoys being around people who tells jokes and play around.       *Names have been changed to protect identities

What Does It Take to be a Mentor?

Mentors can come from all walks of life: they can be young adults, grandparents, moms, dads, students, teachers, blue collar workers, and more! If you have the passion to help a foster child and want to make a positive impact in someone's life, you can be a mentor. Mentor requirements for A Family For Every Child's Mentor Program include: 1. 21 years of age or older 2. pass a fingerprint criminal background check 3. participate in an in home interview 4. attend a mentor orientation 5. spend 10 hours a month with your mentee 6. commit to at least one year If you are interested in becoming a mentor, please fill out a volunteer application. If you have any questions about becoming a mentor, or other ways you can help a foster child, please email the Permanency Director: caitlin@afamilyforeverychild.org.