Convention follow up

Last night Senator McCain ended his speech with a call to service. Today I received email messages from Joe Bieden and Barack Obama, asking for $5 donations to support their campaigns.

Earlier in the week with Gustav threatening to be a bigger disaster, I received an email from Obama encouraging me to send $10 to the Red Cross.

Why can't both candidates make this a consistent part of their leadership? If you live in a huge city you're likely to read a story in the paper today or over the next few days about a poorly performing school, a youth being shot and killed, or some story about high school drop out rates and/or test scores.



The Chicago SunTimes posted the fourth installment of its series on social and emotional learning, with a set of recommendations that would put more counselors and social workers in every school. This is much needed.

But why not also point to the non school hours, and to tutor/mentor programs that bring a wide range of adult mentors, role models, tutors and learning experiences into the lives of inner city kids? Such programs can supplement the mentoring that parents are able to do, and can help connect high poverty communities with a wider range of opportunities and resources.

However, they don't operate without a cost. They need donations from business and philanthropy. Even from government.

So when McCain talks of service, and Obama calls for citizen involvement, and donations, why not visit the Chicago Tutor/Mentor Program Links section of our web site and pick a tutor/mentor program to offer your financial support. Or take a look at the Zip Code map, and choose what section of the city you want to help. Then click the map, and see if there are any tutor/mentor programs in that area whom you'd want to help with time, talent or dollars.

Or send a donation to the Tutor/Mentor Connection to help us maintain this library of information. When you support the T/MC, you're also providing a donation to help the Cabrini Connections tutor/mentor program, so your donation does double duty. We're at 800 W. Huron, Chicago, Il. 60642.