Youth mentoring in trouble

Funding for the Youth Mentoring Program, a community service project through ASI, was not included in a tentative budget approved by the Finance and Budget committee last Monday.

The program, directed by Gustavo Cardenas, an education major, was designed to assist students at Jonas Salk Middle School in academic issues, dealing with peer pressure and conflicts at home.

The mentors spend a few hours with a child each week reading books, visiting the library, playing games or often just talking.

“Mentors do not play counselor, but just by us being there, it lets the mentee know that someone is out there for them,” said Cardenas.

Cardenas began a successful youth mentoring program in 1997 through the education department. The program matched 35 to 40 CSUS students to middle school students for two hours each week, compared to just 13 mentors this year.

In an effort to create a larger mentoring base and provide stipends for mentors, Cardenas, who at the time sat on the ASI Finance and Budget committee, presented a proposal to receive grant monies through ASI.

“The ASI board was interested in the project, but a problem existed,” said Carol Ackerson, ASI executive director. “We just cannot hand over money to someone to put in their checking account, so programs need to be connected through some entity or corporation.”

ASI included $22,000 for the Youth Mentoring program in the final budget recommendation for the 1998/1999 fiscal year by adding it to Community Service programs under ASI, which are directed by Carmen Gonzales.

The money was to be used as stipends for mentors and to reimburse them for expenditures ranging from gas to taking the students to the movies. In addition, the money was to be drawn upon to pay Cardenas as director as well as a project coordinator.

“This was basically seed money to get the program started,” said Cardenas.

However, only $7,500 of the money has been used so far this year.

According to Cardenas he was told the remaining money was no longer available.

According to Ackerson and Gonzales, Cardenas never filled out the appropriate check requests through the ASI business office for the rest of the funds.

“The money was there, it was just a matter of turning in a check request,” said Ackerson. She went on to add that it is now too late in the year for Cardenas to draw money for the program.

“If mentors need gas reimbursements we’ll pay them,” she said.

An office in Foley Hall was set up for the program, but phone service was not available for the first few weeks. Citing the phone problems, Cardenas said that communication was a problem between the program and ASI.

At the Finance and Budget meeting on April 12, youth mentoring was not included in the 1999/2000 ASI budget.

Ackerson cited problems of unreturned phone calls and missed appointments as reasons why the program should no longer be funded.

“It (the program) was not well-conceived and required additional plans which have since been requested; the plans have not been forthcoming,” said Ackerson at that meeting.

The ASI Board of Directors will discuss the 1999/2000 budget at today’s board meeting.

Cardenas has threatened legal action if the youth mentoring program does not receive funding.

“ASI and the University should be held accountable for this. I’m going to file suit,” said Cardenas.