VIP Mentors: Commitment to People

By Collette M. Aldana, Program Director, VIP Sacramento/Yolo

When VIP was founded by California attorneys in 1972, it must have seemed like a pretty weird idea. VIP would be a unique mentoring organization. It would recruit attorneys, and only attorneys, to be mentors to men and women on parole from the state correctional system.

But what began as a hopeful dream has become a very successful reality. The failure rate for California parolees is approximately 70%. On the other hand, mentoring by VIP's dedicated attorney volunteers reverses this dismal statistic. Our success rate is greater than 70% and three out of every four successful matches provide one year more of progress toward personal goals and living crime-free.

Why is mentoring such a persuasive force in the lives of these complicated men and women? The mentor, a respected member of the community, in effect says to the mentee: "Yes, I know what you did many years ago. But now you can put your past behind you and create your own future. I accept you … and I'll help you."

This simple act of acceptance is a powerful motivator. Time and time again, parolees tell me "My mentor told me I could make it. My mentor believed in me. VIP is people believing in unbelievable people like me."

The parolees who turn to VIP for help want desperately to succeed. They just don't know how. They are easily overwhelmed by the obstacles - both large and small - they face when returning to the community. Finding a job is difficult. Their relatives won't let them see their children or they may have lost custody of their children. Addiction problems are unresolved and former gang buddies or criminally-inclined friends still lurk in the 'hood.

Fortunately, attorneys are the world's best problem solvers. Their ideas, talents, ability to communicate, and practical knowledge of the community and how to get things done are the key ingredients for excellent mentoring. As our mentees often tell me, "Without the help and the advice of my mentor, I'm not sure what I would have done, but my mentor was there to guide me."

VIP makes it easy for you to be a mentor. There are no set hours or required activities. Mentors check with their mentees every week by phone and spend between three to five hours a month getting together. You and your mentee decide what to do or accomplish for example, go out for coffee, share a meal, take in a movie, jog or just hang out. Any activity in which you can share interests, talk, and get to know each other works well.

On those occasions when you are tied up in trial or other work projects, you can use the telephone to maintain the relationship. One phone call can have a greater impact than you might realize. The important thing is not frequency, but dependability, consistency and sincerity.

VIP mentoring is interesting, satisfying, and fun. Many mentors report learning more from their match than they give in return. Besides, there is virtually no required paperwork and you are not allowed to enter into an attorney/client relationship with your parolee. In other words, you have no excuse for not becoming a VIP mentor. Few opportunities for community service require such a small and flexible time commitment to make such a large impact!

If you are interested in learning more about VIP, or would like to become a VIP mentor, please contact Collette Aldana, Program Director, by phone at 916.324.4141, ext. 259, by email at vipsacramento@vipmentors.org, or visit the VIP website at vipmentors.org.