Commissioner Joan Ohl, left, presents the award for the 100,00th nationwide match in the Mentoring Children of Promise program to Sheryn Hughes, Program Coordinator, and President/CEO Jim LeBlanc.

Dec. 16, 2008, New Orleans, LA --  Volunteers of America of Greater New Orleans was honored by federal officials today for making the 100,000th match nationwide between a caring adult and a youth with an incarcerated parent in the Mentoring Children of Promise program.

Joan Ohl, Commissioner of the U.S. Health and Human Services's Administration for Children & Families, presented the award to Volunteers of America President/CEO Jim LeBlanc and Program Coordinator Sherlyn Hughes.  Many mentors and youth attended the ceremony marking this important milestone at Living Word church in Marrero, a program site.

President Bush challenged Americans with the ambitious goal of 100,000 matches by the end of 2008 to  turn the tide on an alarming trend--more than two million U.S. children now have at least one parent in federal or state prison.  These children are seven times more likely to go to jail than other children. Traumatized by losing their mom or dad, they are often shuffled from place to place, stigmatized and uncertain about their futures. Frequently, they fall behind in school, get into fights and abuse drugs and alcohol.

The Administration on Children & Families helps to fund Mentoring Children of Promise programs nationwide.  The programs are administered by nonprofits such as Volunteers of America, which actually made the 100,00th match last summer.  Mentoring Children of Promise depends on volunteer mentors who stay close to young persons with a parent in prison.  They spend time with the younth, show love and concern and become a stable, caring role-model.   The program also depends on organizations such as churches, which serve as program sites where mentors and young people are matched.

Commissioner Joan Ohl, left, presents the award for the 100,00th nationwide match in the Mentoring Children of Promise program to Sheryn Hughes, Program Coordinator, and President/CEO Jim LeBlanc.

Dec. 16, 2008, New Orleans, LA --  Volunteers of America of Greater New Orleans was honored by federal officials today for making the 100,000th match nationwide between a caring adult and a youth with an incarcerated parent in the Mentoring Children of Promise program.

Joan Ohl, Commissioner of the U.S. Health and Human Services's Administration for Children & Families, presented the award to Volunteers of America President/CEO Jim LeBlanc and Program Coordinator Sherlyn Hughes.  Many mentors and youth attended the ceremony marking this important milestone at Living Word church in Marrero, a program site.

President Bush challenged Americans with the ambitious goal of 100,000 matches by the end of 2008 to  turn the tide on an alarming trend--more than two million U.S. children now have at least one parent in federal or state prison.  These children are seven times more likely to go to jail than other children. Traumatized by losing their mom or dad, they are often shuffled from place to place, stigmatized and uncertain about their futures. Frequently, they fall behind in school, get into fights and abuse drugs and alcohol.

The Administration on Children & Families helps to fund Mentoring Children of Promise programs nationwide.  The programs are administered by nonprofits such as Volunteers of America, which actually made the 100,00th match last summer.  Mentoring Children of Promise depends on volunteer mentors who stay close to young persons with a parent in prison.  They spend time with the younth, show love and concern and become a stable, caring role-model.   The program also depends on organizations such as churches, which serve as program sites where mentors and young people are matched.