Thanking Mentors During National Mentoring Month

“Throughout our Nation's history, Americans of every background have worked…in common purpose to serve as mentors and lift up our country's youth. During National Mentoring Month, we honor all those who continuously strive to provide young people with the resources and support they need and deserve, and we recommit to building a society in which all mentors and mentees can thrive in mutual learning relationships.” – Proclamation by the President of the United States of America, December 31, 2015.

National Mentoring Month is upon us. It’s a time to reflect upon those who serve as mentors—providing encouragement and guidance to others and significantly impacting lives. “Thank Your Mentor Day” is January 21, but the whole month truly provides an opportunity to thank mentors in your life—whether you oversee mentors in your non-profit organization, or you personally have a mentor who has impacted you, or your child’s life.

Here are some ways to recognize your mentors during National Mentoring Month:

Thank You Note

Handwritten cards are a timeless and heart-felt way to show you are truly thankful for someone. In fact, here are 11 benefits of writing handwritten notes. Whether it’s on a handmade card, a store-bought card or downloaded card, writing a note to a mentor you care about is an easy and effective way to show appreciation.

Digital Shout Out

The National Mentoring Month Campaign is encouraging anyone who has had a mentor to share a story on social media using the hashtag #MentorIRL. Let your mentor know how meaningful they are to you with a video, Facebook post or Tweet!

Showing Appreciation

Think about the people in your life who are mentors and what they enjoy. If they love coffee—treat them to their drink of choice. If they like flowers, pick some up for them to brighten their day. If you’re part of an organization with many mentors, consider using txtMovies to easily send multiple movies in just a few minutes.

There’s also another important date during National Mentoring Month. January 14 is “I am a Mentor Day.” On this day, mentors are encouraged to talk about how they mentor others using #MentorIRL. On that day, we’ll be keeping an eye out for mentors and doing some rewarding of our own on Twitter! We’ll be randomly recognizing mentors with a free RedBox movie using txtMovies’ “Tweet a Movie” feature.

Remember to use the hashtag #MentorIRL!

Julie Miller, is the Director of Marketing for txtMovies, a leader in delivering Redbox movies and Amazon Instant Videos as a form of appreciation. Clients include major universities, nonprofits such as American Red Cross and Livestrong Foundation, health care organizations and professionals, religious institutions, restaurants, and market research companies.