Thum: Over 250 kids in Sioux Falls looking for mentors
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — Hundreds of kids throughout Sioux Falls are looking for a mentor. It's a topic that city officials have brought to our attention repeatedly, including at Wednesday morning's press conference at City Hall.
According to Sioux Falls Police Chief Jon Thum, over 250 kids in Sioux Falls are looking for a mentor.
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'We are a city of 220,000. 250 kids in our community are without a mentor. You do the math. That's not a very big percentage of people who have to raise their hand, show up and say, 'You know what, I'll be there,'' Thum said.
You might not see results right away.
'Think of us as the Home Depot. We give students the tools and guidance they need to build their houses. Their homes may not take shape immediately, but when the time comes, they'll reach into their tool belts. Whether it's through a conversation, a lesson, or even a simple game of UNO, they'll use that to build their future. That's mentorship,' Laura B. Anderson Elementary School dean of students Chris Bierle said.
But the impact you can make by just giving about 45 minutes of your time per week is well worth the effort.
'I think having a mentor opens them up to new worldviews. It opens them up to new relationships. The neatest thing is that they're often times to people whose paths would likely never cross, so both mentor and mentee get a great experience in learning about other people,' LSS senior director of community services Michelle Madsen said.
And as a mentor, all you have to do is be present.
'They're not looking for a therapy session. They're not looking for someone to solve all their issues, all their problems. They're looking for somebody just to show up, be their friend, provide guidance, be a stable adult influence in their life, and many of us have the capabilities to do that,' Thum said.
You can sign up to be a mentor in Sioux Falls for programs such as Sioux 52, Lutheran Social Services and TeamMates.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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