In 1967, a group of seminary students in Denver decided to work with young juvenile offenders after their release from a detention facility called Juvenile Hall in Denver. They reasoned that exposing these young offenders to healthy recreation alternatives and positive role models would promote life-lasting positive change. They were right and the Partners program was born. Today, the Partners Mentoring Association encompasses eleven Partners programs throughout the state of Colorado and one in Tucson, Arizona. All Partners Affiliates adhere to a strict set of Accreditation Standards that make Partners the most effective one to one mentoring program in the country.
In 1986, a group of dedicated community members from Delta and Montrose contacted Joe Higgins, the director of Mesa County Partners. With Joe's help, they began the process of developing a Partners' Affiliate in Delta and Montrose. In 1987, Delta Montrose Partners began recruiting volunteers and made the first Partnership matches. Shirley Murdock (Salas), one of Partners early counselors says, "Our office in Montrose (165 Colorado Avenue) was in the basement of the building Partners occupies today. I remember it was always cold but everyone was so enthusiastic, it didn't matter." That enthusiasm for making Partners' matches is just as strong today. We are proud of our work in Delta and Montrose.
In 1994, we extended our program into Ouray and San Miguel Counties and became West Four County Partners. We opened an office in Telluride and established a strong mentoring program there. In 1998, because of the distance and travel challenges, San Miguel County established their own mentoring program based on the Partners' model called One to One. We then became Partners of Delta, Montrose and Ouray. Last year, in collaboration with Ouray Juvenile Diversion, Voyager and Workforce Development, we opened a new satellite office in Ridgway.
Since our beginnings in 1987, we have worked with over 2000 children. Volunteers have donated hundreds of thousands of hours to Partners as Senior Partners and for fundraising events and recreational activities. Businesses in our service area have donated thousands of dollars of merchandise and services for our TV Auction and offered discounts to our Partnerships. Corporate and individual donations are the financial mainstay of this organization and are matched, often 4 to 1, in state grants to the organization. Area Service Clubs offer financial support to Partners and help with activities. In 1997, the Lions Clubs International chose Partners from 11,000 entries as the winner of the World Bank of Ideas Contest declaring us as the best idea for community service in the world. With such widespread support, we expect to thrive for another 15 years and beyond. |
