About Us

Buddy/Mentor, Inc began in the fall of 1994 with eight adult mentors working with eight students that Kim Bohannon taught at Barnum Elementary school in the Bridgeport, CT east side. That program became a non-profit that grew to include up to 65 of those students each being mentored by their own adult mentor, a total of 130 participants. Hundreds of students have participated in the program. All buddies who remain with the program through high school are assisted in becoming a junior mentor to another new little buddy. The program also includes a $6000.00 scholarship for each buddy who graduates high school to assist with higher educational endeavors. After 30 years of mentoring Bridgeport’s children, that program will be closing in June of 2024. In October of 2014, we opened a new chapter of Buddy/Mentor, Inc in Charlotte, NC with 39 total participants. Our Charlotte program has now grown to include 65 total participants and our first high school buddy graduated in 2022. We now have 3 college graduates who have received their $6000 scholarship and two more buddies will graduate high school in 2024 with college plans. The Charlotte program continues to be strong and has now formed a cohesive Board of Directors with 9 members. The board also includes one of our high school graduated buddies and a parent of 3 buddies along with members of the community and mentors.