Oakland, CA – As an Oakland native, Councilmember Loren Taylor is the product of several local mentorship programs, which he credits to providing him the life skills, knowledge, and self-confidence to become a leader in his civic, professional, and family life. Understanding the power these programs have to change the lives of Oakland youth, he is honored to bring forth the National Mentorship Month resolution, unanimously adopted by Oakland City Council this afternoon.
When reflecting on the importance of mentorship, he noted “Without programs like the Boy Scouts, MESA program, A Better Chance, and INROADS, I would not be on The Oakland City Council, nor the husband and father I am today. When our youth have someone to help them navigate the many obstacles life will throw out them, they are less likely to fall victims to the traps of drug abuse, crime, and other harmful activities. Beyond this resolution, we must invest more into our local mentorship programs doing great work.”
In his remarks at today’s Council meeting, he also uplifted his website, which contains a list of local mentorship programs. Two of which shared the following remarks,
“We Lead Ours’ (WELO’s) mission is to provide youth with real-world opportunities to help them become successful citizens. Mentoring a young person and being with them throughout their journey is one of the most gratifying feelings about being an mentor. A good mentor shows up for good news and bad news to help lead their mentees in the right direction.” stated Dwayne Aikens, Executive Director of WELO.
"At Oakland Promise, we know our volunteer mentors are an integral asset to our scholars' postsecondary success. Having a trusted adult with career experience guiding and encouraging them helps a scholar persevere through these formative years. We are delighted that Councilmember Loren Taylor has brought forth this vital National Mentorship Month resolution for the Oakland City Council to adopt" Sandra Ernst, Senior Director of Oakland Promise College Access and Completion.
Councilmember Taylor encourages all Oakland residents who are interested in serving as a mentor to visit his website
and learn more about the incredible mentorship organizations that are listed.