Circles of Support Mentor Teams are teams of five people who come together to offer friendship and support to our neighbors who live in permanent supportive housing (PSH). The Circles of Support program is administered by the Compassion Coalition.
Small teams of mentors are invited from congregations throughout Knox County to participate. The program’s coordinator provides training so that the teams will understand the basic purpose, expectations, and goals of a mentoring team and provides an understanding of the issues faced by the chronically homeless. Here’s a glimpse:
Each mentor team is matched with a formerly homeless neighbor and is partnered with a professional case manager and other social workers. Mentor teams are focused on helping their neighbor understand and relate to the community at large. This could be anything from simple housekeeping, decorating an apartment, understanding basic money management, or engaging in social and recreational activities. Each mentor team is matched with a formerly homeless neighbor and is partnered with a professional case manager and other social workers. Mentor teams are focused on helping their neighbor understand and relate to the community at large. This could be anything from simple housekeeping, decorating an apartment, understanding basic money management, or engaging in social and recreational activities.
The relationships formed between mentors and neighbors are real friendships. If you’d like to find out how you can be part a Circles of Support mentoring team, click this link to learn more.