When you think of a typical resource fair, you might picture rows of folding tables and stacks of pamphlets. But at Silver Lining Mentoring, we believe that preparing for the future should be just as joyful as it is educational.
On Sunday, March 8th, we transformed the SLM office into a full-blown carnival for our CLIMB Resource Fair! Greeted by balloons, flags, a photobooth, and piles of fair snacks and treats, 20 mentees and their mentors gathered for an afternoon dedicated to building critical life skills—and having a lot of fun along the way.
Throughout the afternoon, young people navigated different learning stations focused on their independence and future success. These stations covered everything from Goal Setting and Career Skills to Financial Planning and Housing Rights.
With the help of 12 incredible community volunteers—including housing lawyers, tax experts, and financial planners—mentees tackled real-world tasks. They drafted budgets, polished their resumes, and learned how to navigate Section 8 housing. For every activity completed, youth earned stars. And for every star earned? They got to spin the prize wheel for raffle tickets!
“My favorite part of today was the resume support,” shared one mentee, walking away with a stronger, more confident professional profile!
Want to see the energy for yourself? Check out this quick recap of the day!
In between the hard work at the learning stations, the center of the office was alive with friendly competition. Mentees and mentors faced off in classic carnival games with an educational twist.
Whether they were tossing rings, matching lucky ducks, or playing cornhole, volunteers challenged the youth with trivia questions related to housing, finances, and career skills. The energy was contagious, giving mentors and mentees a chance to laugh, learn, and collaborate.
“My favorite part of today was seeing how happy my mentee was.” — SLM Mentor
As the afternoon wrapped up, mentees gathered to cash in their hard-earned tickets for the raffle draw. Excitement filled the room as youth walked away with incredible prizes—including an air fryer, a Bluetooth speaker, portable chargers, and plenty of gift cards.
But the most important takeaways from the day weren’t the physical prizes. By the end of the event:
- 15 new milestone goals were set by our young people.
- 80% of mentees reported feeling closer to their mentor after attending.
SLM mentees summed up the day perfectly: “Silver Lining is the best and continues helping youths.” and “My favorite part of today was meeting new people and playing games.”
It takes a dedicated community to pull off an event like this. We are so incredibly grateful to the volunteers who shared their Saturday and their expertise with our young people.
As one volunteer noted, “The event was the highlight of my week.” Honestly—it was the highlight of ours, too.
Thank you to everyone who made the CLIMB Resource Fair a resounding success. We love seeing our young people leave with more skills, more confidence, and more happy memories than when they arrived!
Inspired to get involved?
Whether it’s becoming a mentor, volunteering at events like this one, or supporting our work, there are many ways to be part of our community.
