This report documents the work of Amachi, a mentoring program for children of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated parents in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Volunteers are recruited from inner-city congregations to provide one-to-one mentoring to the children. Beyond being the source of mentors, the congregations are a key part of the initiative.…

Mentoring programs enrich children's lives, help meet their need for positive adult contact, and provide one-on-one support and advocacy. Positive mentoring experiences have proved to be an effective tool to help youth overcome the risk factors that can lead to problems such as educational failure, dropping out of school, and involvement in…