Editor’s note: Click here to read about two Morrison, IL, matches: Bryson Cruz and Lt. Tim Erickson and Brodee Cruz with Officer Lonnie Smith.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Mississippi Valley kicked off their community-wide volunteer recruitment campaign on Wednesday, June 21, 2017. The campaign will run 100 days and ends on Friday, September 29. The one-to-one youth mentoring organization has a goal of finding 100+ adult volunteers, who want to be matched with a child in a mentoring relationship, starting that match later this summer or early in the fall (back-to-school time frame.)
“There are more than 200 children in the Mississippi Valley Region who are waiting to be matched. Some have been on our list for nearly a year,” said Sarah Walker, Senior Director of Enrollment and Community Partnerships for BBBSMV. “About 70% of the children on our list are males and under the age of 12. We match same-gender adults and children, so we are looking for more men!”
Whiteside County Director Danielle Vance explains that out of those 200 children, 15 are from Whiteside County, IL. This includes children from Sterling, Rock Falls, Morrison, and Prophetstown.
Typically, youth enrolled in Big Brothers Big Sisters are facing some kind of adversity. It could be that they are coping with the loss of a loved one, through separation, divorce, incarceration, or even death. Additionally, 85% are from lower income households often headed by a single parent.
“The mentor relationship helps the whole family,” says Vance. “When matched to an adult mentor, the child begins to grow in their self-confidence, decision-making skills, self-motivation, and overall improvement in their academic performance,” Vance explains. “As the Little begins to see hope and opportunities that are available to them through their experiences with their Big, their overall behavior begins to change positively as well. This helps both the teacher and the parent or guardian,” she added.
To find out about becoming a Big Brother or a Big Sister in Whiteside County, please email Danielle Vance at dvance@bbbs-mv.org; call 815-716-8987; go to www.bbbsmv.org/volunteer.
“Volunteering as a ‘Big’ offers a great deal of reward and satisfaction, as well as a great deal of fun!” says Jay Justin, CEO of BBBSMV. “It only takes two to three visits a month,” Justin explains. “In the School-Based Plus program, it’s a couple of lunch visits a month at the ‘Little’s’ school, plus a fun Match Activity, that is planned by our staff,” he explained.
The Mentoring Environments offers three options.
School-Based Plus: Requires a one year commitment meeting for a minimum of two hours a month. Most meetings happen at the Little’s school over the lunch period, but there are also more “structured match activities” that are developed and staffed by BBBS. Typically, it takes 2-3 meetings per month to meet the required amount of time with the Little.
Community-Based Program: Requires a one year commitment, meeting for a minimum of six hours a month. The Big usually picks up the Little at their home, and they go out into the community to do something together. It could be going to see a movie, going for a hike, taking in a sporting event, or just going for a burger and a talk. Usually two to three meetings a month fulfill the required hours. Again, as in the School-Based program, you can meet on your own, or you can attend any number of match activities during the month.
New to Whiteside County for the 2017/2018 school year will be the M.A.P.S. Program. It will offer a program for elementary school matches called M.A.P.S. which supports the Big in helping to establish goals for the match in areas such as literacy, health and wellness, financial literacy, S.T.E.A.M. (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math), and community service. At these match activities Littles learn and have fun. Activities will include Storm Chaser Classes, tours of local hospitals and banks, activities at local gyms, and health and wellness programs.
100 Days/100 Bigs is financially supported by Ascentra Credit Union Foundation, with media sponsorships from TownSquare Media and KWQC Channel 6.