Street Advocate, a partnership organization between Goodwill Industries and Safe Harbor dedicated to helping the homeless find permanent housing and stable living situations, is launching Traverse City's first-ever Homeless Mentoring program. The program - created in recognition of the 30th anniversary of the National Coalition for the Homeless - is designed to "close a gap in the continuum of care for the homeless" by assisting individuals with food, clothing, health care, transportation, emotional support and housing solutions.

"It is our belief that the complicated network of community support services can be better navigated with a mentor, and that a person experiencing street homelessness will likely have a much better outcome when he or she is working with a mentoring group that cares about their individual success," says Christie Minervini, Volunteer Program Coordinator for Street Advocate.

An informational meeting for individuals interested in becoming a mentor will be held Wed., Nov. 20 , at 6:30 p.m. at Building 50 (Suite 1011, above Trattoria Stella) at The Village at Grand Traverse Commons. Ongoing training for mentors will begin in 2014.