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The Necessity
Children of Promise (whose parents are in prison) are the invisible, unintended consequence of crime and the most marginalized segment of our society. Separated from their parents, children of prisoners are poor, branded, traumatized and neglected. In South Los Angeles and Compton alone, there are more than 4,000 such children. Project Raphael, named after the first mentor in the Bible (Archangel Raphael in Tobit), is a network of private entities, including Catholic Big Brothers Big Sisters, that are united to ensure that children of prisoners are given the opportunity of having a mentor.
How the Program Works
Adults, age 18 and older, provide one-to-one mentoring at supervised sites for one hour a week, between 1:30 p.m. and 5 p.m., Monday thru Thursday. A minimum commitment of one year is expected.
What the Program Offers
The Mentoring Children of Promise program (MCP) assists children who are between the ages of 8 and 14, by providing responsible, trained and caring adults. These adults will offer encouragement, advice and positive reinforcement to the children. Currently, MCP has one supervised site in South Los Angeles, and is in the process of expanding.
The Collaboration
Aside from offering this mentoring program, CBBBS and its collaborative partners offer services to the incarcerated parents and their family members in the community. Additionally, children and their mentors engage in culturally enriching activities, events and group field trips. The child, caretaker and mentor will receive continuous support and regular contact in person and by phone by CBBBS staff. The mentor will receive monthly trainings and support on specific topics that pertain to children of incarcerated parents.
The Program Manager may be reached at (213) 251-9800 or by e-mail at info@catholicbigbrothers.org.
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