It’s no secret that at-risk youth need mentors, more than anything else, to prevent from falling into the pitfalls of the streets. Connections Mentoring CEO Paul Muratore understands this — and he’s committed his life to youth outreach.

Muratore, however, has gone the extra mile for at-risk youth. For more than 35 years, he was mentoring children as part of The Children’s Village in Dobbs Ferry. During that time, he was running Talent Partners, a multi-million dollar talent agency that, at its peak, had more than 250 employees.

In 2015, he sold the company and told his contacts he was retiring. Everyone said he was “crazy” for doing so.

“I had a really demanding job and had a big company with a lot of responsibility,” he said. “Selling the company gave me the financial wherewithal to not have to work. I was ready for it. It was a joyous exit. I had a phenomenal run.”

According to its website, Connections Mentoring partners with different agencies throughout New York City to pair at-risk youth with adult volunteers to guide them through the minefield of life. The organization specifically targets youth in the five boroughs of New York City (Manhattan, Bronx, Queens, Kings (Brooklyn), and Richmond (Staten Island)), as well as Westchester County, which also serves as its base.

Connections Mentoring is specifically noting that their youth are requesting more Black mentors than they currently have.

If you’re in one of the five boroughs or Westchester county, and interested in participating in their program, click here.