Interested in
becoming a mentor?

A Circles mentor is someone who is a positive and consistent presence in the life of a youth in foster care. It’s not about having all the right answers and advice to give a youth. A mentor is someone who shows up, listens well, and takes delight in who the youth is and who they are becoming.

Because we want to provide youth with as many opportunities as possible to build a wide community of support, we are looking for people who are a part of a church community and who are over 25 years old.

Trained and experienced staff are always available to support you and your team in whatever way you need. Each team completes a short form at the conclusion of every meeting, which allows teams to communicate any issues or needs to be followed up on by staff. In addition, each team will meet with a Circles staff for 1 hour a month (usually online) to celebrate, problem solve, and gather any needed resources.

Circles mentors commit to meeting together with the youth for 1-2 hours a week, with most of the meetings occurring in person. There is also a 1 hour monthly check in with Circles staff (which will usually occur online). We ask for an initial 1 year commitment, but with an openness to longer term engagement.

Simply spending time with the youth once a week – your greatest gift is your consistent presence. You’ll be assigned to a team of three; you, your teammates, and the youth can plan fun activities that suit your interests and personalities. We don’t expect you to be tutors, therapists, or social workers.

We encourage teams to keep outings low-cost or no-cost. Your greatest gift to your youth is your committed presence from week to week, and your outings don’t need to be extravagant. Activities that are fun and allow for meaningful engagement are best, such as making a craft, playing a card or board game, exploring a new neighbourhood together, or playing a sport.

Each mentor team has a monthly budget that they can spend as they desire. Some teams might use a portion of it each week, while others might save it for a special occasion. We will provide teams with low and no cost activity ideas, and always encourage teams to share food together, as we know that sharing food is an important way for teams to bond.