BBBS marks National
Mentoring Month
Goal to match all of the kids on their waiting list
This January marks the 15th annual National Mentoring Month, and Shelby
and Darke County’s Big Brothers Big Sisters is participating in this
campaign aimed at expanding quality mentoring opportunities to connect
more of our community’s young people with caring adults by setting the
goal to match all of the children on their waiting list with a Big.
“If everyone could take a moment and think back to who they considered
to be that positive role model when they were growing up, and in turn
be that role model for someone in the community, what a huge impact we
could make on the future” said Jennifer Bruns, Executive Director of
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Shelby and Darke County. “Our slogan for
this month says it all. ‘It all starts with a little.’”
Research has shown that when matched through a quality mentoring
program, mentors can play a powerful role in providing young people
with the tools to make responsible decisions, stay focused and engaged
in school, and reduce or avoid risky behavior like skipping school,
drug use and other negative activities.
For example, in a recent national report called The Mentoring Effect,
young people who were at-risk for not completing high school but who
had a mentor were 55 percent more likely to be enrolled in college than
those who did not have a mentor. They were also:
• 81% more likely to report participating regularly in sports or
extracurricular activities.
• 78% more likely to volunteer regularly in their communities.
• More than twice as likely to say they held a leadership position in a
club or sports team.
This same report found that one in three young people in our country
will grow up without a mentor. Today, in our community there are 23
kids who are on our waiting list for Bigs for Shelby and Darke County
combined, and we are always getting referrals for kids who would
benefit from our program.
As we focus on engaging more community members in volunteering as
mentors, we will share a simple message: Mentor IN REAL LIFE. It all
starts with a little. Mentoring relationships are basic human
connections that let a young person know that they matter, and mentors
frequently report back that their relationships make them feel like
someone is there to help them make the right choices in life.
In addition to our goal of matching all of the littles on the waiting
list, we are saying thank you to our current “Bigs” in a Volunteer
Appreciation Banquet at the end of January.
Other important dates:
• January 14, 2016: “I Am a Mentor Day,” when volunteers across our
community and the country will share their stories about being a mentor
on social media using #MentorIRL.
• January 18, 2016: Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, when our
nation will shine a spotlight on volunteerism and inspire people
seeking service opportunities to learn more about mentoring.
• January 21, 2016: “Thank Your Mentor Day,” when we encourage anyone
who has had a mentor to say thank you by sending a note, a card or
sharing a story on social media using #MentorIRL.
National Mentoring Month is led by MENTOR: The National Mentoring
Partnership and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, with
support from the Highland Street Foundation. Each year since its launch
in 2002, National Mentoring Month has enjoyed the strong support of the
president and the United States Congress. Other prominent individuals
who have participated in the campaign include: Maya Angelou, former
President Bill Clinton, Clint Eastwood, Quincy Jones, Cal Ripken Jr.,
Bill Russell and Usher. To learn more about the being a Big in our
program, visit Big Brothers Big Sisters online at
www.bigbrobigsis-shelbydarke.org . If you would like further
information, you can also call 937-492-7611 or email us at
info@bigbrobigsis-shelbydarke.org.
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