NBC Community Trust is associated with Northcote Baptist Church in Auckland. It is embarking on a mentoring programme to provide more holistic assistance to interested people who present to them via their budgeting service, food bank, etc.

The programme will build on the trust relationships already developed, and will help participants with simple issues such as homemaking skills (e.g. cooking, shopping, housekeeping) and with more complex issues, such as how to apply for jobs, personal grooming, and time management. In some cases there will be an opportunity to develop work skills in the Trust’s ‘op shop’ or in a furniture bank operated in conjunction with the Women’s Refuge.

With the help of an advisor, individuals will determine their short- and long-term goals, and a personal plan will be developed with achievable milestones. A mentor will be assigned to the person to either assist personally (e.g. showing them how to establish a garden), and/or to identify suitable community programmes to help participants achieve their goals.

After a short intensive period at the start, mentoring will be gradually phased out as participants find their feet.

NBC Community Trust is not the only Baptist community ministry to start a mentoring programme. For example, Ranui Baptist Community Care has a two-year family mentoring programme with approximately 200 active participants.

These programmes work best when they build on relationships of trust, utilise existing networks and resources (such as the op shop and furniture bank mentioned above), connect with other community groups and services, and ‘guide but not prescribe’.