Our mission is to celebrate and empower LGBTQ+ youth of faith.
The Trevor Project found that queer youth who had at least one supportive adult in their life were 40% less likely to report a suicide attempt in the past year compared to their peers. Yet, we know that queer youth are underserved in the mentoring world: the National Mentoring Research Center estimates that 1.6 million queer adults never had access to a structured mentoring experience, and today, fewer than 10 mentorship programs in the US center queer youth. To our knowledge, none center queer youth of faith.
The Beloved Arise Mentorship (BAM) Program pairs queer youth of faith with queer mentors of faith as they cultivate connection, growth, and guidance.
About The Program
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Beloved Arise will strategically pair mentees with mentors who share religious, queer, and/or other identities to build a formative relationship over the course of one year.
The pairs will meet (virtually) two times per month.
Mentors will be extensively trained to provide guidance, suggest spiritual resources, share stories from their queer spiritual journeys, and otherwise support mentees.
With safety at the top of mind, all mentors are thoroughly vetted and trained, and communication between mentors and mentees is limited to a secure platform, monitored by Beloved Arise staff.
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Identify as a queer person of faith
Be at least 24 years old
Agree to and pass a federal background check
Mentors must have capacity to give 4-8 hours of time to their mentee per month
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Identity as a queer youth of faith
Be between the ages of 16 and 24
Mentees under the age of 18 must have consent from a parent or guardian
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May 1, 2024 – Program application for mentors and mentees opens
May 31, 2024 – Program application for mentors and mentees closes
June 1-12, 2024 – Beloved Arise team reviews applications
June 13, 2024 – Mentors and mentees are informed if they are moving onto the next round of the application process, a 30-minute virtual interview
June 17-25, 2024 – Mentor and mentee 30-minute virtual interviews
June 28, 2024 – Mentors and mentees chosen for the program are informed
July 5, 2024 – Final day for mentors and mentees to accept opportunity
July 1-15, 2024 – Mentor asynchronous training (2-3 hours of individual review of Beloved Arise policies, documents, and training videos)
July 10, 2024 – Mentor training (mentors will attend only one of the three training session options)
July 14, 2024 – Mentor training (mentors will attend only one of the three training session options)
July 15, 2024 – Mentor training (mentors will attend only one of the three training session options)
July 15, 2024 – June 30, 2025 – 2024-2025 cohort program duration
July 15, 2024 – First week of mentor/mentee sessions!
July 15 - August 15, 2024 – Mentors and mentees meet virtually weekly
August 15, 2024 - June 30, 2025 – Mentors and mentees meet virtually 2-4 times per month
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Questions? Please reach out to Drew or Kaitlyn at (mentorship@belovedarise.org)
Know someone who radiates positivity and guidance?
We’re on the lookout for fantastic mentors in the LGBTQ+ community of faith to inspire and support queer youth of faith. Whether it's your buddy, a kindred spirit, or someone whose energy just lights up the room, your nomination could be a game-changer. We don’t need professionals, we need caring, patient leaders who want to make a difference in young lives. Take a moment to fill out the form below and share why they’d be the perfect addition to our mentorship family!
Within BAM, mentees and mentors share a spiritually enriching experience grounded in conversation, community, and shared practice, so mentees strengthen their understanding that their queerness and religious or spiritual identities are not mutually exclusive, rather beautifully threaded together.
Invest in our Mentees and Mentors
To sponsor one mentee/mentor match, simply give a one-time gift of $500 or create a $42/month recurring gift and select “Beloved Arise Mentorship” in the drop down campaign.
Your investment makes a massive impact on queer youth of faith. Thank you for your generous support of BAM!
Please reach out to kaitlyn@belovedarise.org with any questions.
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The more sponsors of individual matches, the more queer youth of faith we can accept into the program! The cost of one mentee/mentor match for an entire year is $500 or $42/month.
Your one-time gift of $500 or $42/month supports one mentee/mentor match in the following ways:
Background check for the mentor, ensuring a safe environment for the mentee
Usage of a mentorship program platform for the mentor and mentee, ensuring communication and connection is secure and safe
Resource development and continuous training for mentors
Staff time to support the match
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As a BAM program partner, you are truly changing and saving the lives of queer youth of faith. All financial support of BAM goes directly back to the program, allowing us to serve more queer youth of faith, more quickly.
Program partner support begins at $1,000 per year, and extends to $5,000 per year. As a program partner, you receive benefits and promotional opportunities based on your level of support.
If your organization, corporation, place of worship, or community of practice is interested in becoming a BAM program partner, please reach out to kaitlyn@belovedarise.org for more information.
Thank you for your commitment to queer youth of faith’s futures!