Kinship of Tomahawk Matches Children with Caring Mentors

Kinship Inc. is a private nonprofit organization made up of 36 affiliates serving communities throughout the Upper Midwest. Kinship has established nearly 1,800 positive mentoring relationships between youth and caring adults. While Kinship Inc. provides the structure, the organization relies on the strength of its affiliates’ local communities in order to meet the needs of the young people it serves. Kinship of Tomahawk, located in Lincoln County, Wisconsin, carries out the mission of Kinship Inc., to improve lives by establishing quality relationships between youth and caring volunteers in order to promote “stability, support, friendship, and community.”

If one of your 2020 resolutions is to volunteer your time in order to give back to the Northwoods community, Kinship of Tomahawk has plenty of opportunities to do just that. Kinship of Tomahawk is seeking volunteers to get involved and make a difference in the community. Kinship matches adult volunteers with children ages 5 and up. Due to a variety of circumstances, these children need that special relationship with a caring adult. Each week, mentors and children spend at least an hour together, taking part in enjoyable activities, whether that means baking cookies together at home or going fishing. Over time, these structured relationships often develop into genuine friendships. Volunteer mentors can be couples, single adults, and families who are dependable, patient, and willing to share their time, interests, talents, and friendship with the child with whom they are matched. Volunteers undergo a careful screening process to ensure they are committed and qualified to serve as mentors.

If you would like to volunteer but are not interested or able to be a mentor to a child, there are other opportunities for you to get involved with this valuable organization. Volunteers are needed to help with Kinship of Tomhawk’s KinsKlub, which is an afterschool program held on Tuesdays for kindergarteners through third graders, Wednesdays for fourth and fifth graders, and Thursdays for sixth graders through high school seniors, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. At KinsKlub, participating youth receive homework help; create crafts, do all sorts of fun activities, receive nutrition education, and benefit from positive relationships with adult volunteers. Contact Dawn at 715-453-1910 or dawn@kinshiptomahawk.org for more information about how to get involved.

If you are interested in becoming a mentor, you can download the required forms on Kinship of Tomahawk’s website (kinshiptomahawk.org), print them, and send them to Kinship of Tomahawk at PO Box 653, Tomahawk, WI 54487.

If you would like to learn about volunteer opportunities at other Kinship Inc. affiliate locations throughout the region, please visit kinshipinc.org.