Today we’d like to introduce you to Joe Adorno.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I was a dependency case manager working with children in child welfare when I decided to adopt my first son. I am the first single gay man in the State of Florida to legally adopt a child from foster care. It was not without it’s discrimination. The vice president of the company I worked for told me “I don’t believe in gays adopting and I want to you to stop this nonsense.” It took about a year of fighting and uphill battle, but I won in 2011. Then I decided to quit my job and start my own company, YOLO Mentoring. In 2012, YOLO Mentoring is a social service agency providing mentoring and sibling visitation services for children in foster care. I adopted my final son in 2013 from foster care. I graduated with my Masters of Social Work from the University of Central Florida in 2014. I started expanding my company throughout the State of Florida. I bought a house here in Orlando and feel so proud to be a part of the Orlando Community. Since then, my company has helped more than 10,000 children throughout the State. Since then, my company is fully accredited through the Council on Accreditation and we have started to franchise. A year ago I started the process to franchise my company and we have sold our first one so far. I am a part of a large organization called One Magical Weekend. This is a huge Pride Party the first weekend in June that has been happening for over 20 years. I am the face and ambassador for the event. It is more than just a party, this event raises money to help fund Pineapple Healthcare, a non profit health organization that helps individuals in the community. I am very thankful to live here in Orlando and have this incredible life. I try my best to work hard with my career, home life, and in the gym.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It is never smooth. Being the first single gay man in the State of Florida to legally adopt a child from foster care was one of the most difficult things I have experience. I did a 5 part series on instagram about it. https://www.instagram.com/p/DJplGVBxcF6/ you can watch it here. My instagram is TheJoeAdorno
Starting your own company is very difficult. It has been 13 years since I started my company and I have seen so many ups and downs. It is never a perfect year, but you do your best, work hard and navigate the storm.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
YOLO Mentoring LLC is one of the leading, privately owned youth mentoring organizations (social service agency) in Central Florida and the only one of its kind to feature a mentoring program that consists entirely of strong, positive male role models. Founded in 2012 by Joe Adorno, YOLO Mentoring provides “at risk” children and teenagers with superior quality one on one mentoring and sibling visitation services through a distinctive mentoring program designed to create meaningful, lasting impressions in a comfortable, safe and open-minded environment.
The YOLO Mentoring program is built on four building blocks to encompass a well-rounded experience for each individual: successful educational opportunities, vocational training, social skills, and community service involvement. These building blocks are designed to mold youthful minds into responsible, successful and accountable adults.
A distinction between YOLO Mentoring and its competition is that by being a for-profit agency, Joe Adorno is able to have a more controlled structure, a future outlook for the company, and provide high-quality consistency in the services provided to the clientele. Structure and consistency is of ultimate value when it comes to mentoring youth. This is how the youth are able to establish a healthy relationship with their mentor and consistently see them on a weekly basis, ultimately aiding in their personal growth and social skills.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
I have currently started franchising and I am trying to promote YOLO Mentoring in as many different areas around the nation as possible. I would love to have a YOLO Mentoring in every state within the next 5 years. I can’t wait to help kids on a macro level.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://YOLOmentoringllc.org
- Instagram: TheJoeAdorno
- Youtube: JoeAwesome7036
- Other: tiktok TheJoeAdorno
Image Credits
Head shot photo taken by Carey Parson at Carey PPhoto
