The Youth Mentoring Program at Helping Services

Mar 18, 2025 12:00 PM
Colinne McCann and Will Kuelbs
The Mentoring Program at Helping Services for Youth and Families

DRC Sponsor: Kim Bonnet

Colinne McCann and Will Kuelbs from Helping Services for Youth and Families will be visiting our club to provide information and insights on their Youth Mentoring Program. Youth mentoring provides a consistent, prosocial relationship between an adult or older peer and one or more youth. Mentoring consistently improves self-esteem, academic achievement, and peer relationships and reduces substance misuse, aggression, depressive symptoms, and delinquency. Helping Services has matched caring adults with hundreds of kids for over 20 years. Their program offers services in Allamakee, Clayton, Delaware, Southern Fayette, Howard, and Winneshiek Counties.

Colinne McCann has been a resident of Winneshiek County for the past 18 years. She received her AA in Human Services at Northeast Iowa Community College and then her BA in Social Work at Luther College. Colinne has been involved with youth mentoring at Helping Services since 2016. Youth mentoring and giving back to the next generation is where her passion lies. In her spare time Colinne spends time with her daughter, is a service unit director for Winneshiek County Girl Scouts and teaches 7-12 grade Sunday School.

Will Kuelbs is a Minneapolis, MN native and is a senior at Luther College majoring in Social Work. He currently serves over the summer months as a Childcare Specialist for the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board, where he works in and with summer school-age programs. His long-term goal is to become a school social worker in the Twin Cities. Will is excited to join Helping Services as an intern this spring. He deeply admires the organization’s critical role in providing vital support to the Decorah community and is eager to contribute to its mission of fostering positive change.  He looks forward to working with such a dedicated team and gaining hands-on experience in the field.

For more about Helping Services for Youth and Families please visit their website at https://www.helpingservices.org.

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