January 27, 2026
January is National Mentoring Month. As part of its celebration, the Chicago Sun-Times approached Mercy Home late last December to profile its venerable Friends First program as a prime example of the positive impact that a dependable adult mentor can have on a young person.
Established during the Home’s centennial year 1987, the program matches adult volunteers with young people who could use additional support from a caring and trusted adult role model.
The article appeared in yesterday’s edition of the Sun-Times. Contributor Sandra Guy spoke with Mercy Home Director of Philanthropy Phil Zielinski, who also served as a mentor in the program, and his mentee, Carver Military Academy senior Semaj Pierce. Based on his own experience, Zielinski recommends the program to anyone.
“It’s an incredibly powerful thing to be able to do,” Zielinski is quoted saying in the article. “Building a longstanding relationship takes time and effort. In the end, I’ve gotten more out of this than Semaj.”
Pierce’s guardian and adult cousin Tiara Davis also told Guy about how the program has helped her family following the death of their grandmother who had raised Pierce.
“This organization is so warm and welcoming and reassuring,” Davis was quoted in in the article. “And they make it so easy to make you feel you’re part of the family.
For the article, Friends First Mentoring Program Manager Katie Gunter detailed the process of vetting, preparing, and matching mentors with youth in the program. Today’s special section also features an ad for Mercy Home’s Friends Frist mentoring program. You can read the full article here (note: May require free registration to access).
Launched in 2002 as a campaign by the Harvard Mentoring Project and the National Mentoring Partnership, National Mentoring Month celebrates the positive role of mentors on young people and recruits mentors for youth.
Studies show that structured mentoring programs like Friends First help empower young people with the support and skills they need to overcome obstacles in life and achieve their potential. Mentoring encourages academic achievement, socio-emotional development, behavior and risk reduction, and life-skills development.
Learn more about the Friends First mentoring program at Mercy Home.
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