National Capital Area CARES Mentoring Movement

is the local arm of the National CARES Mentoring Movement (NCMM), founded by Susan L. Taylor, editor-in-chief, emeritus of ESSENCE Magazine.    NCA CARES mobilizes and connects existing mentoring groups with hundreds of thousands of  caring and committed adults from every sector of the Black community to mentor and secure the educational and lifelong success of vulnerable young people. Caring adults can offer our children the compassion, guidance and encouragement they need to build happy and productive lives. None of the negative forces imperiling our children's lives is stronger that our love and commitment.

What is Mentoring? It’s a matter of trust. Mentoring is a structured and trusting relationship that brings young people together with caring individuals who offer guidance, support and encouragement aimed at developing the young person’s competence and character. A mentor is an adult who, along with a young person’s parents or guardians, provides support, counsel, friendship, reinforcement and constructive examples of how to make choices that serve him or her. Mentors are good listeners, people who care, people who want to help young people bring out strengths that are already there.

Why Mentor? You can save a precious life…and nourish your own. Harsh and cruel life experiences have led many of our young people to believe that they are alone in the world and that no one cares. The National Capital Area CARES Circle of the National CARES Mentoring Movement seeks to dispel that notion by providing young people with role models who will play an active role in helping to shape their development. By mentoring a young person, you can help redirect the course of his or her life.