Compeer Chautauqua has announced the appointment of Chris Gibson of Forestville as a youth mentor recruiter. This new position is funded by a grant from Chautauqua Tapestry. The intent of the grant is to expand the reach of mentoring to serve youth in juvenile justice and to enlarge Compeer's reach for mentors in the north county as well as outlying areas of Chautauqua County. The appointment of Ms. Gibson is the first step toward fulfilling that goal.
Ms. Gibson has a Bachelor of Arts degree in human services from the State University at Buffalo and a Master of Arts degree in adult education from the University of Phoenix. Her previous experience includes positions as a substance abuse counselor with the New York State Department of Corrections and the Genesee Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse. She has been active advocating for children with disabilities through the Office of Persons with Developmental Disabilities and held a volunteer position on the Family Support Services Consumer Council.
Compeer for Youth matches trained, compassionate mentors with children ages 5 to 18 who are working toward better mental health and are referred to the program by school and medical professionals. In her new position, Ms. Gibson will be making connections and building relationships with businesses and other organizations in the community for the youth program. She plans to work with existing structures designed to connect individuals with each other and build on them.
Compeer Chautauqua director Jann Ball commented, "We eagerly anticipate reaching more families, serving more youth, providing positive opportunities and growing the community's knowledge and support of our mentoring program." Compeer is sponsored by Southern Tier Environments for Living. For further information on Compeer, call 487-2956 in Jamestown or 366-3161 in Dunkirk.
