Raise Foundation

Today I wrapped up my second year mentoring with Raise Foundation and I’ve had an absolute blast! Seeing my mentee and others blossom throughout the program has been such a beautiful experience. It has been a privilege to be a part of their stories and I’ve loved every second of it. If anyone has a spare two hours a week during school Term 2 and 3, I’d highly recommend signing up to mentor - especially those in the Sydney Southwest area. I’d love to see some Raise programs out this way, it’s such a valuable program for our vulnerable young people 🩵 See you next year Raise!

A fabulous end to another year of mentoring with Raise Foundation . Its such a privilege to spend 20 weeks, one on one, with a young person (year 8 this year), to get to know them and be someone they can make a connection with. I learn so much from them too & it keeps me in touch with what’s going on with teenagers today. If you have 1.5 hours a week to give, for 20 weeks per year, please consider signing up. You don’t need any experience, just an open mind. You will get as much, if not more than the mentees, out of being part of this program. I also wish to thank BDO in Australia for allowing flexible work hours, that enables me to include in my working life something that is very important to me. #raise #youthmentoring #mentoring #bdo #bdovalues

What an honour it was to be a Mentor with Raise Foundation this year. First time mentoring young people and can safely say I will be back! Truly an incredibly rewarding experience to guide my young mentee through challenges and obstacles they faced throughout this year and set them up for a bright future ahead. Shoutout to Mordialloc College and our amazing Program Counseller Clare Brownlow who kept the energy high and the conversations flowing with ease! Florsheim Australia Pty Ltd what an outstanding initiative to support and encourage staff members to give back 👏🏻

Today over 2000 mentor matches across 200+ schools in Australia graduated as part of the Raise Foundation program. 😔Sad but true stats that you should be aware of: 🔴3 out of 10 young people find it hard to ask for help 🔴Suicide is still one of the leading deaths for young people 🔴1 in 5 young people feel alone 🔴1 in 4 young people will experience bullying at school This is why the Raise mentor program is so important in our communities today. Spending 1 hour with a young person per week can have an impact on their life. It sure has a huge impact on our lives as mentors too. Big thanks to Amy Boulter for supporting me to volunteer for this opportunity and to the OG, Charlie Noovao for bringing this program to Salesforces attention. ✨And of course to Vicki Condon AM, Kaitlyn Brown Vanessa O'Brien and the team at Raise for making this program happen. You are all incredible! ➡️More information on how to sign up next year here: https://raise.org.au #volunteer #takesavillage #impact #graduation

Apologies: This post may be a bit triggering. This morning I completed a 20 week stint with the wonderful Raise Foundation, mentoring a Year 8 student (age 13-14 for my non-Australian colleagues and friends). This was the second year I’ve done it, under the stewardship of the amazing Tara Riggs, and again found it to be one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I’d like to talk about how grateful I was to be able to take 2 hours a week out of my corporate role (thank you Salesforce), to connect and talk to a smart young person navigating the complexity of friendships, relationships, family and all the issues that come with early teenage years. I’d like to talk about how at times I had self-doubt, wondering if I was doing enough for them, whether they were getting enough out of our conversations, as I tried to curb my natural tendency to try to ‘fix’ things rather than just listen. And I’d like to talk about how proud I was as my mentee graduated this morning, and told me, in front of her peers and other mentors, how much she enjoyed our time and what she got out of it. But I cant. Because this morning the newspaper headlines in Sydney are plastered with the fact that a little girl, two years younger than my mentee, took her life having been bullied incessantly. Experts say the most common risk factors for youth suicide are a mental health condition or a physical disability, but bullying, family problems and grief are also risk factors. And I can’t be as self-indulgent as to talk about my experiences knowing that another girl at a school not too far away, was so desperately unhappy they took their own life. I’m not saying that having someone for them to talk to once a week, to share their goals and aspirations but also their fears, may have changed that horrific outcome, but I also know it might have. Graduation for the mentees this morning at the school was a joyous and happy affair, with laughter, the sharing of stories and gratitude. However I feel guilty having these emotions knowing that a young girl is not alive because she felt so desperately alone. The Raise Foundation empowers young people through early intervention mentoring programs, equipping them with lifelong skills for a brighter future. It helps young Australians with their mental health, and their social and emotional wellbeing. If you are interested in what Raise does, jump on to their website: https://www.raise.org.au/ (edited with correct link) Your time could be the lifeline a young person desperately needs. Thank you. Vicki Condon AM

What a heartfelt and emotional morning at graduation for all the mentors and mentees and celebrating my 7th year as a mentor and the high school 10th year in the program Raise Foundation Vicki Condon AM #youthmentoring

I'm a little sad that my mentoring with Raise Foundation is coming to an end this year. It's such a great programme which helps young people make good decisions, with some guidance and lots of listening from an adult from outside their life. They don't need to be told what to do, they just need someone they can trust, who can help them see how awesome they are, and to give them some tools to focus on the future. If you make the time for a couple of hours for Terms 2 and 3, I really encourage you to give back and volunteer your time. You can really make a difference to a young person and their future. If you have any questions, feel free to DM me. #mentoring #volunteering #youthadvocacy