Become a Pen-Pal
Start a Pen-Pal Mentoring a relationship with a youth in a Department of Youth Services facility.
- Potential Pen-pal Mentors must be 21 years of age and should be willing to undergo an application & training process
This includes:- A background check
- Attending training
- Abiding by Pen-Pal guidelines
- Agreeing to fulfill Pen-Pal responsibilities
- A background check
- Pen-Pals are expected to pray for the youth they are assigned to, and write letters or send cards of encouragement every 7-10 days while the youth is in a facility
- Once a youth is released from a facility, Pen-Pals will complete a short survey to collect testimonies, gauge our effectiveness, and provide input to improve what we are doing
- The average length of time Pen-Pals will be writing is 4 to 6 months; a small percentage of youth will being in the facility a year or longer.
- Youth may be from any Alabama County.
- Pen-Pal Mentors are matched by gender only.
- Once youth are released from DYS facilities, Pen-Pal Mentors can be assigned to a new youth entering the facility or take a break between assignments if desired.
- If you are available and would like to become a Pen-Pal, please contact us:
Become a Mentor
Build a Mentoring relationship with a youth returning to your community:
- The pastor/minister recommends individuals to become mentors
- Potential Mentors must be 21 years of age and should be willing to undergo an application & training process
This includes:- A background check
- Attending training
- Abiding by Mentor/Pen-Pal guidelines
- Agreeing to fulfill Mentor/Pen-Pal responsibilities
- Youth are matched by gender and denomination.
- Youth will contact the churches they are interested in by writing a letter to the identified mentor requesting information.
- The identified mentor from the church writes back to provide the youth information about the church and to initiate a relationship with the church.
- Once the youth comes home, the mentor will help the youth feel welcome, loved, and become involved in youth and church activities.
- Mentors follow up with youth for 6 months after they return to the community.
- We follow-up with youth for progress, statistics, and testimonials.
We follow-up with mentors to provide assistance and obtain information to improve what we are doing - We let go — to let the church be the church. It is our hope that the local church will experience blessing and be successful in ministering to youth and their families.
- If you are available and would like to become a Mentor, please contact us:
Financial Support
Your Financial Support is needed and will be greatly appreciated:
- New Start Ministries, Inc. depends on funding contributions from corporations, institutions, churches, and individuals to fulfill its mission.
- New Start Ministries, Inc. is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. All donations are tax deductible to the contributor.