Cory Booker: “today I would like to recognize MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership, the leadership of its founders, Geoffrey T.…”

“today I would like to recognize MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership, the leadership of its founders, Geoffrey T. Boisi and Raymond G. Chambers, and the expansion of the mentoring field in the past quarter century. This year, MENTOR celebrates its 25th anniversary. Its founders, Geoffrey T. Boisi and Raymond G. Chambers, were leading businessmen and philanthropists who understood the value of mentoring in their own lives. They believed passionately that the intervention of a caring adult is a critical element in the life of a young person, and they believed that every young person needs and deserves a powerful relationship that supports their growth and gives them the opportunity for success. In 1990, Boisi and Chambers recognized the powerful impact that mentoring could have on our Nation's at-risk youth, and they started a movement to increase opportunity for all young people by establishing MENTOR. The success of Boisi's and Chambers' efforts has been remarkable. That first year, approximately 300,000 youth at risk of falling off track were paired with a caring adult through a structured mentoring program. Today, 4.5 million at-risk young people will find the support that they need in a mentoring relationship while growing up.…”