Why Become a Mentor?

During National Mentoring Month you likely saw a variety of organizations such as One by One looking for volunteers to mentor a wide range of populations: teens, college students, businessmen/women, entrepreneurs, or, in One by One’s case, pregnant and new moms.

But what does it really mean to mentor, and why should you consider becoming a mentor?

Many people think of the benefits a mentee generally receives from the mentoring relationship: practical knowledge, advice to avoid mistakes, accountability, encouragement, support in goal setting, friendship, resources, connections, and a trusted ally. In fact, a 2023 study by Garringer and Benning noted 75% of Americans who had mentors when they were young said their mentoring relationships were major contributors to their success in life.

Mentorloop defines mentoring as a mutually beneficial relationship between two people. That means the mentor gets something out of the relationship as well. While mentors often think of mentoring as an opportunity to give back, they also report benefits for themselves such as new friendships, new perspectives, self-reflection, fulfillment, and improved communication, leadership skills, and confidence.

At One by One, our mentors often tell us they get more out of their mentoring relationships than their moms do!

So how does One by One mentoring work, and why should you consider it?

One by One trains Christian women to serve as volunteer mentors to pregnant and new moms. Our training is free, and we provide all of our mentors with lesson plans so they know what to share with their moms at each monthly mentoring meeting. We also provide moms with educational materials, such as information on baby milestones and activities to promote appropriate brain, language, and motor skill development during the vital period of birth to age three. Each mentor has a coordinator and a One by One staff member she can contact if she has questions or concerns.

One by One matches one mentor with one mom. Each mentor and mom meet once a month throughout the mom’s pregnancy and her baby’s early years. The mentor provides friendship and support as she listens to the mom’s experiences and concerns. And the mentor shares the lessons provided in our lesson plans alongside a specific Bible verse included in each lesson plan. We also ask mentors to share their testimonies and God’s desire to be in relationship with moms as the mom/mentor relationships develop. If you’re worried about sharing your testimony and God’s plan for salvation, we have training to help you become more comfortable with these topics as well!

If you’re a Christian woman willing to invest an hour a month in the life of a new mom and her baby, then mentoring with One by One may be the right volunteer opportunity for you. Click here to sign up or learn more today.