Talk is cheap, the saying goes, but sometimes having someone to talk to is priceless.

That’s the mission of the Butler YMCA’s Reach & Rise youth mentoring program: giving young people a place to share their experiences and have an adult mentor to listen.

“This is an evidence-based national program that helps kids rise to a better future,” said Jessica Burr, the clinical director of the Butler YMCA’s Reach & Rise. The free program is financially supported by the YMCA’s Annual Support Campaign and is recognized by the federal Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Program.

“I recruit the kids and the mentors, train all the mentors to manage things that may come up,” said Burr, who oversees the program.

The program is limited to participants aged 6 to 17. The mentoring program matches up to eight participants similar in age with two trained adult volunteers acting as mentors.

Burr said the Reach & Rise participants are separated by no more than three years in age.

“With the program we try to prevent dropouts, drugs and gangs. We work in groups of six to eight kids with two mentors,” said Burr.

According to her, potential members for the program can be referred by a teacher or learn about it through community information; they don’t have to be a Y member.

“And I’m meeting with community groups all the time,” she said.

Burr said she does receive a lot of referrals from guidance counselors and teachers. Parents can fill out an application to spread the word about Reach & Rise.

“We basically have an intake interview. The kids talk about what they need to work on, social skills, anger management,” she said.

“Sometimes, they have a hard time communicating feelings or they don’t understand someone else’s feelings,” said Burr. “Or, they want better relationships with teachers, siblings, anyone. Sometimes, they just want to be exposed to a new environment and activities. This is a place to make new friends.”

During the 13-week course, the students get a chance to build positive and consistent relationships with their peers.

Working together, they improve their decision-making skills, performance in school and their self-esteem.

During the sessions, the students play games or do art. The older students practice job interview and resume-building skills.

The mentors, who are volunteers and often retired teachers, counselors, college students and parents, receive 15 hours of training before being assigned as mentors.

The mentors are trained to run a group and deal with reports of abuse and self-harm.

“We have a lot of repeat mentors, and they talk to a lot of other people and recommend the program,” said Burr.

One of the graduates of a previous Reach & Rise session, Issiac Waller, 14, of Chicago, credited the program with helping him overcome his low self-esteem and anxiety.

“The Reach & Rise Program, with its small individual groups, helped me overcome these weaknesses by challenging me to try new things,” Waller said in a speech last month at the Butler Country Club.

“I became friends with Joe, he was one of the volunteering mentors. He was smart and knew how to make a person feel better about themselves, but most importantly, Joe knew how to bring people together,” said Waller.

“He taught us that everyone has issues, and it’s good to talk to someone when you’re feeling down. He showed us creative ways to communicate and understand each other and to make good decisions in resolving issues instead of fighting to solve problems,” he said.

“The program has given me confidence in myself to cope with daily challenges, and to make good decisions,” Waller said.

Burr said the next session of seven students is set to run from 5 to 7 p.m. beginning Sept. 12 at the Butler YMCA, 339 N. Washington St.

She added the program will be expanded in October to sites in the Broad Street Elementary School and the Ryan Gloyer Middle School in Harmony.

The participants take a survey at the beginning and the end of the program. Burr said the answers can provide a way for the YMCA to decide what improvements can be made to the program.

“We see it a lot on our surveys. The kids want new experiences or to try new things. They’re not getting out of Butler or their town.”

“They’re not getting to experience things. Their parents are working or they live with their grandparents or there’s no money,” she added.

Burr said she’s looking to bring in guest speakers in the future.

Last March, the Butler Dog Training Association brought in 12 therapy dogs. Burr said she is looking into field trips of sorts, taking the Reach & Rise participants behind the scenes at a local restaurant, for instance.

This fall will mark the fourth year of the Reach & Rise program at the YMCA.

“We’ve worked with 120 kids over the four years.”

For more information or to register for a fall session of Reach & Rise, call 724-287-4733 ext 136 or email jburr@bcfymca.org.