Mentoring Alliance

Why Bev and Lew Chose to Give Back to the Mentoring Alliance When Bev and Lew began thinking about where they wanted to spend the next chapter of their lives, they weren’t looking for just a place to live. They were looking for a community. After their children settled in San Francisco, the couple decided […]

Wishing our Sassarini Mentor Facilitator, Maureen, all the best in her retirement. We will miss you, Maureen! Maureen’s history with the Sonoma Valley Mentoring Alliance goes back to 1998. At the time, she was a bilingual kindergarten teacher in Santa Rosa who had recently become a mom. She had planned to return to work part-time,

Inside our Program Activities If you watch mentoring long enough, you start to see how often growth begins with a simple invitation: let’s try this together. For Mentoring Alliance Program Director Brooke Finley, activities are often where that invitation comes to life. They gently stretch a comfort zone, open a door, or spark an interest

Seeing Mentoring Through Brooke Cheeseman’s Eyes Every mentoring story begins at one of our school-based Mentor Centers — warm, welcoming rooms where new connections take shape. But for Mentor Facilitator Brooke Cheeseman, who has spent 11 years at Flowery Elementary, these spaces are so much more. They’re where she watches mentoring unfold in real time,

The Splash Brothers Who Say Yes to New Experiences Mentoring is, at its heart, about opening yourself up to experiences you might never have imagined and doing it together with someone who makes you feel brave enough to try and relaxed enough to laugh along the way. For Tyler and his mentor, Frank, that spirit

A Bond Beyond Mentorship When we recently sat down with Alee and her mentor, Yolanda (Yoli), you could feel the energy between them—a warmth that radiated from their bond, forged through years of shared experiences and unwavering support. Their story is one of connection, growth, and a love that has evolved beyond mentorship into family.

Almost four years ago, when my wife Theresa and I moved from Oakland to Santa Rosa, we were looking for ways to become more involved in our new community. That pesky billboard in Boyes Hot Springs kept reminding me: by mentoring, I could fulfill a critical need and make meaningful connections. The more I learned

January is National Mentoring Month, a time to celebrate thelife-changing impact mentoring has on both mentees and mentors. Tomark this special month, we spoke with Annette Giroux-Smith, MentorCenter Coordinator at El Verano. Annette sees the magic of mentoringunfold every day, facilitating meaningful connections between mentorsand mentees. Here’s what she shared about her experiences: Favorite Part

Thanksgiving is a time for gratitude, and at the Sonoma Valley Mentoring Alliance, we have so much to be thankful for. To our 300 incredible mentees, from kindergartners to high school seniors: Thank you for saying “yes.” It takes courage to welcome someone new into your life, and we are endlessly inspired by the bravery and

This month, we are excited to highlight Moon Mountain District AVA for their exceptional support of our programs. It takes a diverse array of community contributions to power our initiatives—from auction donations and event speaking opportunities to financial contributions and promotional support through local businesses. We are deeply grateful for every aspect of this support.