Norwalk’s L.A.D.Y. mentoring program takes flight
Norwalk’s Leadership and Advocacy for the Direction of Young Women program launched earlier this year.
NORWALK – Butterflies, a symbol of change and transformation. This is the symbol that the Leadership and Advocacy for the Direction of Young Women (L.A.D.Y.) program members chose as their emblem.
It all started back on April 14, 2022 with a simple meet and greet event that offered a safe space for mentees and mentors to chat. The Norwalk Social Services Department, led by Social Services Director Gabriela Regalado, wanted to begin a mentorship program for young women ages 15-23 who have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The focus of the program is to improve self-care, self-growth, and self-love. The participants meet twice a month, the second and fourth Thursday from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., at the Social Services Center located at 11929 Alondra Blvd.
“The idea for the L.A.D.Y. mentoring program came from a need to connect potentially at-risk youth with mentors that could share their own life experiences so that the mentees know firsthand that great things can be achieved,” stated Regalado.
The mentorship program is good for participants struggling with financial stability, relationships, mental/health challenges, personal growth, and education in relation to the pandemic. The mentees deal with these issues through a series of workshops, excursions, and one-on-one mentoring.
“The mentees are given the tools to create their own destiny and have access to their assigned mentor to guide them along the way during these crucially formative years in their lives,” stated Jessica Bargas-Jimenez.
Bargas-Jimenez, along with her Social Service Department colleague Denisse Lopez, oversee the mentorship program and plan all the events. Participants are given a personalized notebook and pen to write down their thoughts, feelings, and anything else they would like to express in the notebook.
“We had a large demand for people wanting to be mentors for this program, which was a pleasant surprise,” stated Lopez.
The enthusiastic demand led to the program’s expansion from meeting once a month to twice a month. Mentees are encouraged to attend all meetings but are not required to attend every meeting. The purpose is to have the program available when needed rather than making it something that mentees will see as a burden if their schedule doesn’t permit them to attend certain days.
The City of Norwalk promoted the first meet and greet event during the return of Artastic back in March 2022 as well on its social media pages leading up to the first L.A.D.Y. mentorship program meeting.
The program continues to be promoted on social media as well as the Social Service Department’s seasonal brochures. Seven months into the program’s inception, it continues to help shape the lives of the mentees in a positive direction and provide an outlet for mentors to donate their time and share their knowledge.
For more information on the L.A.D.Y. mentorship program, call (562) 929-5544.