Mark your calendars for Tuesday — Give to the Max Day! On this day of giving, we hope you will think of Community Mentor Connection and that you will take advantage of this online matching gift program available only for gifts made on Nov. 17 at www.GiveMN.org, a first-of-its-kind giving Web site for nonprofits in Minnesota.

If you donate to Community Mentor Connection on GiveMN.org on Nov. 17, several other organizations will provide matching funds. The more we receive from local donors, the more matching funds we will also receive.

Community Mentor Connection has been providing mentors to youth in Freeborn County for more than 10 years. Mentors are volunteers who commit to meeting frequently with a child or teenager for recreational, educational and social activities. School, human services and parents refer youth to our program because they need encouragement, guidance and support. There are currently 35 youth with mentors. Many more youth would benefit from mentoring. Mentoring is a proven strategy for preventing youth risk-behaviors such as skipping school or dropping out, fighting and using alcohol, tobacco and other drugs.

To donate and receive the match:

Go to www.GiveMN.org on Nov. 17.

Search for the parent organization of Community Mentor Connection, which is “Success Through Adults Reaching Students.”

On the Results page, click on “Success Through Adults Reaching Students.”

When you have accessed the next page, find “Fundraisers” and click on “Community Mentor Connection.”

On the next page, click on “Donate” and follow the instructions.

Your donation means a lot to the youth of this community and we thank you in advance for contributing to Community Mentor Connection on Nov. 17. If you are interested in mentoring a child, contact Carolyn Smith at (877) 232-8399 or starsforkids@yahoo.com.

Jeff Laeger-Hagemeister

Board of Directors

STARS and

Community Mentor Connection

Albert Lea