A mentor and mentee working together

Refer a youth

Do you know a young person who would benefit from a caring, long-term mentor?

Start the Application Takes about 10–15 minutes

About Community-Based Mentoring

Silver Lining Mentoring's Community-Based Mentoring (CBM) program matches young people with foster care, adoption, or congregate care experience with a screened and trained volunteer mentor who commits to meeting with them for about 8 hours a month for a minimum of one year.

Youth and mentors are supported by SLM's clinically trained staff. Matches meet in the mentee's community, and over time the mentor becomes someone a young person can rely on: a consistent, caring presence over the long term.

Our service area

We serve young people impacted by foster care in the Greater Boston area.

Use + and − to zoom. Zone boundaries are approximate.

Zone 1 covers Boston and nearby communities such as Quincy. Zone 2 reaches about Waltham and Salem. Zone 3 reaches about Framingham and Brockton. Zone 4 reaches about Lowell, Foxborough and Marshfield.

  • Zone 1: Core areaWe accept referrals. Our primary service area.
  • Zone 2: Within our areaWe accept referrals. Matching may take longer due to distance from public transit.
  • Zone 3: OutskirtsWe accept referrals. Matching typically takes longer, since mentors need reliable access to a car.
  • Zone 4: Case by caseAccepted based on our capacity, mentor waitlist, and ability to recruit mentors nearby.

All referrals also depend on our other eligibility requirements above. We typically can't accept referrals from outside Zone 4. If a young person lives outside Zone 4 and is 18 or older, they may be eligible for e-Mentoring. Learn more about e-Mentoring eligibility. Unsure which zone a young person is in? Email [email protected].

SLM's Youth Enrollment Process

  1. Submit the application

  2. Guardian completes permission forms

  3. Submit mentee survey

  4. Complete mentee intake interview

  5. Join the waitlist to be matched with a mentor

Thank you for taking this important step. We're excited to support you!

We thrivewhen we matter.

Caregivers and providers: To begin the enrollment process for a youth you would like to refer, please complete this application form. This should only take about 10–15 minutes. A Silver Lining Mentoring staff member will be in touch with next steps within the next week. If you have any questions regarding referrals, please email [email protected].

Start the Application