Mayor Scott Fadness had a lot on his mind as he spoke to the Fishers Youth Mentoring Initiative (YMI) fundraising breakfast Thursday morning at the Ambassador House grounds.  The mayor and his wife Aunna are expecting their second child to be born Friday morning, so that was clearly on his mind.  But he also took the opportunity to laud the work of YMI mentors.

The mayor talked about the work continuing, by the city and school corporation, to improve mental health throughout the community.  Fadness cited a ride-a-long he recently had with a Fishers Police officer and responded to a call about a 34-year-old man threatening suicide during a fight with his girlfriend.

“It really irritated me that we have done all this work over the last 4-5 years and we could not figure out how to help that individual,” the mayor said.

Fadness argues that it is important to “get to these people earlier, in the simplest, subtlest ways.”

The mayor told those attending the fund-raising event that organizations such as YMI make subtle interjections into the lives of local young people.  He calls this early intervention “impactful.”

“It was only a few years ago when I sat down John DeLucia and Darren (Heil) to talk about this (YMI) concept, and look what it’s become,” said Fadness.  “I can only imagine the impact (YMI has) had on young people.”

YMI provides mentors for young people in the Hamilton Southeastern School District for students in need of an adult to help them.  Most mentors commit to one hour a week with a mentee.

For more information about YMI, use this link.

To make an online donation to YMI, use this link.

Here are a few pictures from the YMI breakfast event