LANSING, Mich. - Gov. Rick Snyder has declared January as Michigan Mentoring Month, recognizing the powerful impact personal connections can have on the lives of young Michiganders.

Observed in partnership with the Michigan Community Service Commission (MCSC), Michigan Mentoring Month is designed to recognize the ordinary citizens who take the time to make a difference for Michigan's children and show how each of us - whether an individual, government, business or organization - can work together to encourage and increase the number of mentors.

Julie Calley, a member of the MCSC and wife of Lt. Gov. Brian Calley, said engaged mentors are essential to reinventing Michigan.

"Mentoring can make a big difference in so many ways," Calley said. "It helps creates strong individuals; strong individuals create strong communities; strong communities give us a stronger Michigan. We urge each Michigan citizen to considering mentoring."

"Thousands of young people are waiting to be matched with mentors. Michigan Mentoring Month is an opportunity to highlight the importance of mentoring and the need for more mentors," said Paula Kaiser VanDam, executive director for the MCSC.

Mentoring Month is celebrated nationally as well, created in 2002 by the Harvard School of Public Health and MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership.

For more information about the value of mentoring and how and where to help, visit www.michigan.gov/mentormichigan.

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