In today's society, young people face adversity each and every day of their lives. Often, they don't have an adult or mature friend to talk to and seek advice from. But for one woman, her personal goal is to provide an outlet to those in need of support.
Sharon Mellette has been in the education field for over 20 years. She serves as Dean of Students at Scott's Branch School. Two years ago, Mellette initiated the “I am that Girl” foundation to mentor young females on how to be successful in life and how to make sound decisions in difficult circumstances.
Mellette came up with the idea to provide a group setting for young ladies to be able to come together. She started an event called “Girl Talk” at the Church of God by Faith, located at 1071 Loss Brook Road near Davis Station. The hours are from 6pm to 8pm. It is hosted by Mellette to seek out the ones in need of advice and provide wisdom from herself and other volunteers.
“These young ladies battle a long list of issues that are very difficult to handle,” said Mellette. “Some suffer from depression and have self-esteem issues. Others are the victims of bullying from other students and don't really know how to respond appropriately to the situations. Through my foundation, I am able to provide a safe place for them to go to and interact with responsible people to act as mentors. They come together and discuss what their issues are, then quickly realize that they are not alone. Many are suffering from identical situations, and can help each other through it.”
Mellette said that so far, she has conducted two meetings. At the first meeting, 12 girls showed up and participated. At the second meeting, 17 girls attended the event. Mellette is confident that the response will go higher as word gets out. The program is geared towards participants from 11 to 21 years of age.
“Being in the school system and seeing these young people go through life in good times and bad, my heart and passion is driven to help them by providing this outlet. So far, I have paid for everything out of my pocket. I am in the process of eventually becoming a not for profit organization. But any funding or donations will be gladly accepted. We have also provided Blessing Bags for the participants, which included basic items and toiletries that they may need. If anyone would like to donate or help out by becoming a mentor, please give me a call at (803)566-9555 for more information.”
