BELFAST — The Restorative Justice Project of the Midcoast (RJP) is seeking stable, compassionate, and resourceful mentors for the populations we serve: men who will soon emerge from the Maine Coastal Regional Reentry Center and rejoin the community, and youth who are taking responsibility for causing harm by participating in our Community Resolution Program.

If you are interested in mentoring, please consider signing up for the next RJP training series, which will be held at the Waterfall Arts building, located at 256 High St in Belfast. The first session, which doubles as an informational meeting, will be held on Thursday, Dec. 3, from 6  to 8:30 p.m. The rest of the training will take place on December 10, 15, and 17, also from 6 to 8:30 p.m.

The sessions include information about the philosophy of restorative justice and its practice, reflections on mentoring, and discussions of the theories that inform this work. Participants will also talk with an active mentor and mentee as part of the training.

Our mentors are a diverse group that includes teachers, mental health professionals, lobstermen, carpenters, insurance executives, pastors, and community activists. One said, "Starting a mentor relationship is like turning the cover of a good novel. Inside are great, sometimes sad stories, and surprises and tough going. The plot twists and turns as if a great writer was pushing things around. And the end? Is there an end?"

To register for the sessions, please contact Hanlon Kelley at 338-2742, ext. 101, or e-mail hanlon@rjpmidcoast.org. 

To learn more about the Restorative Justice Project, visit rjpmidcoast.org.