Thomas Lynn | The Valdosta Daily TimesDelta Sigma Theta, a local sorority, and the parks and recreation center teamed up for a mentoring program that took place Saturday at the Mildred M. Hunter Center.

VALDOSTA — A local sorority and the parks and recreation center teamed up for a mentoring program that took place Saturday at the Mildred M. Hunter Center.

Felicia Hill is an alumni of Delta Sigma Theta and the chairperson for the sorority’s Empowering Males to Build Opportunities for Developing Independence, also known as EMBODI. Her sorority teamed up with Andre Newson, a coordinator for Valdosta-Lowndes County Parks and Recreation Authority, for the Day of Mentoring event.

The event brought young men from around the community into the Mildred M. Hunter Center, 509 S. Fry St., for four different workshops. 

Hill said the workshops helped prepare the boys for adult life with lessons in managing their finances, health and school performance.

One workshop was for team building using sports as a team building exercise. There was a workshop to combat youth violence through education. The boys were also taught to avoid taking on unnecessary debt.

The last workshop involved a doctor speaking to the young men about mental health awareness, how they can deal with stress and seeking help when it becomes too much.

“This is very important for one reason to keep these boys around good mentors,” Hill said. “Without it, who knows where they might turn.”

Newson said he hopes the boys will learn from the older males about how to be a responsible adult. The boys who participated in the workshops might not have a positive male role model, but this event gave them examples to live by, he said.

“The goal is to teach them the steps through life, from elementary to middle school to high school and up,” Newson said. “It’s to show them good values, teaching them how to overcome obstacles in a healthy way.”

After the mentoring program, Hill said she hopes the young men understand that they have the support of the community behind them, and if they need help in any part of their life, they know there is someone who cares about them who will help them.

Even though the workshops were short 30-minute programs, each workshop presenter is available for the boys whenever they need support, she said.

“We hope they leave here knowing that they have the community to lean on for support,” Hill said. “There are people outside of their family who they can turn to for help.”

Thomas Lynn is a government and education reporter for The Valdosta Daily Times. He can be reached at (229)244-3400 ext. 1256