These are just some of the ways you can make a difference in a young person’s future. Our program has impacted the lives of more than 2,500 young adults since it began. Mentors work directly with young people to make sure they have what they need to stay on track, are accountable and are moving forward. These are just a few of the stories from our alumni and mentors.
We’re proud of our Midnight Golf Program alumni and are pleased to share a few of their stories from different stages in life.
And that time is significant. Mentors attend the program twice a week for 30 weeks and accompany our young people on a weeklong college tour.
Mentors tell us that their work with young people gives them energy. They draw inspiration from students’ fearlessness. They practice accountability with the students and with themselves. And they tap a familial-like love that gives their workaday world a sweeter perspective.
Some of the biggest barriers faced by Midnight Golf Program students are lack of access to positive role models to help navigate the often-tricky path to college and fragile support systems at home. As of 2017, only 32 of 87 Detroit high schools surveyed had access to trained counselors or advisors.
Each year, about 65 Midnight Golf Program mentors log roughly 390 hours each working with our young people, more than 10 times the national average of 32 hours/year. Our mentors treat their mentees like family, offering rides home, a shoulder to cry on, late-night essay-writing support and other guidance that goes well beyond the basic volunteer commitment.
