About us

Why we run a rescue without a kennel.

MAV Youth Mentoring pairs adult mentors with middle school and high school students in Cabarrus County, North Carolina. We focus on multi-year relationships rather than one-off events. Our matches last an average of 2.7 years, well above the national average for youth mentoring programs.

MAV was started by three former teachers and a juvenile court counselor who kept seeing the same students fall through cracks in every program that claimed to help them. The difference, they concluded, was time. Real mentorship is not measured in events. It is measured in years.

Our model is simple. A mentor commits to two hours a week for a minimum of one school year. We screen carefully, train monthly, and match intentionally. When a match works, we protect it.

We are not an alternative to parents, teachers, or therapists. We are an additional adult who shows up consistently for a young person who may not have enough of those.

Leadership and governance

We are governed by a five-member volunteer board that meets quarterly. Day-to-day operations are led by a small paid staff. Full bios and our annual Form 990 are available on request.

Financial transparency

Our most recent audit is available upon request at [email protected]. Over 91% of expenses fund direct animal care. Administrative costs run under 6%; fundraising under 3%.