In Solidarity
To all Great Life Mentoring participants and partners:
Our nation is grieving and we grieve with you. We grieve for our Black community, and those who are feeling the harmful effects of ostracization, oppression, brutality, and pain and suffering. No person should ever be subjected to unjust treatment because of who they are, what they believe, what they look like, or what their abilities are.
Given current events, Great Life Mentoring would like to reaffirm our commitment to diversity and inclusion. This is always close to our hearts and, we hope, reflected in our actions. But there is also, always room for improvement and we are dedicated to identifying and addressing any unconscious biases.
To this end, we will conduct a thoughtful review of our diversity and inclusion practices, making sure our Black community has a voice in this. We will listen, learn, and work to create meaningful change. That’s why we are also reaching out to each of our mentors, providing additional support as they continue to support the youth in this organization.
Great Life Mentoring is a model of excellence in the mentoring field, and our diversity and inclusion practices must also model excellence. They must include diverse experiences, perspectives and reflect those in our staff, board members, mentors, and the communities we serve.
We consider it an honor to serve our community and empower youth to form their own opinions and voices, to feel valued, and experience health and well-being. We hope that all of our members (children and families, mentors, partners, staff and board) will feel our sincere support, willingness and care both now and in the future. It is our aim to be kind, compassionate and empathetic at all times.
Like everyone, we are not perfect and this letter may not perfectly convey what is in our hearts, but please know that we are listening and learning. Just like we teach Great Life mentors, we will listen to understand and build relationships based on commitment, consistency and trust, as we work to create a more inclusive, empathetic and supportive world.
Great Life Mentoring Staff and Board