With the school year almost over, a citywide mentor recruitment effort is underway in Parramore and Greater Orlando.

  • Greater Orlando CARES hosting mentor recruitment
  • Places mentors with local youth organizations
  • Mentoring event happening Sunday

"Take me away from my environment and give me a chance to see life from a different perspective and I can remember him and those instances like it was yesterday," said Pastor Bruce Allen, who serves as the executive pastor of the The Hope Church of Orlando.

Pastor Allen is a stroke survivor, who lost his ability to play the piano 10 years ago.    

It took him nearly just as long to feel comfortable playing again in public.

Allen is no stranger to overcoming challenges, that’s why he’s supporting the Greater Orlando CARES mentoring initiative.

“'Has there ever been a person in your life that gave you some guidance, other than a family member?' And ultimately hands go up, that’s mentoring right there," said Darrell Butler, who serves as the chairman of Greater Orlando CARES.

The organization, which partners with groups like the New Image Youth Center in Parramore, has been a resource in the Greater Orlando area since 2012.

“People get confused. We don’t have a mentoring program," Butler said. “We recruit able and stable men and women and then direct them to our partnering organizations. Our partnering organizations are the ones that have the children," Butler explained.

Potential mentors will be screened.

“We do require is all of our partners do background checks," Butler shared.

Butler said mentors don’t have to make six figures to get their message across because he believes guidance is priceless.

“We want our young people this summer especially to see people show up and give them hope," Butler said.

“That’s immeasurable, the impact that it has on the lives (of children)," Pastor Allen said.

The citywide mentor recruitment event will take place on Sunday, April 30 from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the The Hope Church of Orlando on Monte Carlo Trail.  

It will be followed by an International Jazz Day program at the same location at 6 p.m.