Local News
Heart to Heart
Mentoring program pairs girls with women in the community
VALDOSTA — A group of women are striving to change the futures of young girls.
Developed by Heart to Heart, a local organization formed in 2008, the mentoring program for young girls will host an open enrollment from 10-11 a.m. on Saturday at the Mildred M. Hunter Community Center.
The goal of the mentoring program is to pair girls between the ages of 10 and 18 with women in the community and have monthly activities that bring everyone together, Diane Howard, volunteer, said.
Howard said she and others were prompted to develop the program after hearing Andre Newson of the Mildred M. Hunter Community Center speak at a gathering of ministers and residents following the mass shooting at Hudson Dockett.
Though the Heart to Heart program will have a Christian foundation, the participating girls will be exposed to a variety of different academic and social activities, she said.
Volunteer Denise Famellette said they want to provide girls with different opportunities for their life.
“We want them to see different lives for themselves, to learn about themselves and discover what their gifts are to create a different life,” she said.
The volunteers met earlier in the week to discuss development of the program and some, through other organizations they participate in, already have girls who want to be a part of the program.
At the forefront of the organization is the goal for mentors to be a guiding force in a girl’s life.
“Through our love, we can show them His love,” Kerry Montgomery, volunteer said.
Famellette said that she can relate to many girls’ stories, especially those fraught with uncertainty.
She ended up in Valdosta after being sent to live in a group home. A disruptive home life in Dalton made her uncomfortable with living at home with her mother, she said.
It got to the point where she found a mattress in the woods, placed it in a tree and covered herself with cardboard boxes at night because she didn’t want to be at home.
One night, when it started to snow, Famellette said she came to the realization that she could no longer live the way she was living and the next day at school she told a counselor about her situation.
She was then sent to a group home.
Famellette said she wants girls to know they can take their gifts and God’s love and create the kind of life they want for themselves.
“It’s so important to show that God loves them right where they are,” Famellette said.
The organization is still in the beginning phases, and Howard said she is trying to arrange a regular meeting place and transportation.
Howard said she has already been amazed at the outpouring of support from the community.
The first event the group will attend is the Pure Love Conference on Sunday, Feb. 21, at Mathis City Auditorium.
Though an open enrollment is scheduled for Saturday, Howard said girls and mentors can sign up at anytime.
To learn more about the program, including how to get involved, call Diane Howard at (229) 244-3998.
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