Lunch Buddies is an in-school mentoring program pairing school-referred elementary aged children to carefully screened and selected volunteer mentors. The mentor will meet his/her assigned child on a weekly basis at the child's school during the child's lunch period. Volunteers commit to a school year of contact and all in-person contact occurs on school grounds. The goal of the program is to aid the child to thrive within the school environment, which will usually carry over to life skills development. We typically address issues such as poor self-esteem, peer issues/problems, academic issues and/or family issues. A Lunch Buddy may transition to a Big Brother or Big Sister match with parental approval. Each relationship is goal-oriented and supported by a staff professional.