Six years of devotion is a big reason Charlottean is mentor of year

Each January, in conjunction with National Mentoring Month, the Mayor’s Mentoring Alliance gathers to honor the remarkable mentoring work that takes place in the Charlotte community.

The alliance highlights the achievements of individuals and organizations that have made it their mission to inspire and motivate youth and their families to continue to lead positive lives.

There are seven award categories: educator mentoring partner of the year, first responder mentoring partner of the year, grassroots mentoring organization of the year, best collaboration in mentoring, peer mentor of the year, mentee of the year and mentor of the year.

Kathryn Hart was chosen as a mentor of the year for her service to children in the Big Brothers Big Sister program.

Hart has been a mentor to her mentee for six years and serves as the chair of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Carolinas young professional leadership council.

In under two years, Hart has raised over $20,000 for the Big Brothers Big Sisters program and has hosted dozens of events to encourage the Charlotte community to support mentoring.

At the recent awards ceremony, Mayor Vi Lyles said that throughout her time as mayor, she has come to know many great examples of how our community comes together and strives to create better opportunities for our youth.

Mayors Mentoring Alliance Awards 2020 (Brandon Todd)

“The best thing about Charlotte is our people,” said Lyles. “This community is comprised of many generous people who work tirelessly to give back to others.”

Since 1904, Big Brothers Big Sisters has operated under the belief that inherent in every child is incredible potential. As the nation’s largest donor- and volunteer-supported mentoring network, Big Brothers Big Sisters makes meaningful, monitored matches between adult volunteers (“Bigs”) and children (“Littles”), ages 5 through young adulthood in communities across the country. They try to develop positive relationships that have a direct and lasting effect on the lives of young people.

Lyles acknowledged the meaningful work performed by mentoring agencies and individuals in Charlotte, along with the dedication required to support the social and emotional well-being of our future community leaders.

“As mentors and advocates, we personify the generosity of spirit and the unconditional giving of self often required during the most vulnerable circumstances,” Lyles said.

The Mayor’s Mentoring Alliance connects Charlotte organizations to promote mentoring and its best practices through training sessions and workshops, recognition and establishing quality standards for mentoring in the city.

Click here to learn more about the Mayor’s Mentoring Alliance.

If you have an inspiring story to share, email Kevin Campbell, WSOC-TV/WAXN-TV/Telemundo Charlotte public affairs manager, at Kevin.Campbell@wsoctv.com.

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