5
BBBS’s mission is to transform children’s lives through mentoring and
supportive services, which is where Bigs and Littles come into play. Potential
volunteers/Bigs are first asked to fill out an enrollment form and provide
information enabling BBBS to do a background and reference check. “Safety
of the children is our number one priority,” explains Martha. Then after some
basic training (the dos and don’ts, general guidelines of the program), the
matching process begins. Both the adult volunteers and the children are asked
questions about their interests, how they like to spend their time. Logistics
also play a role in the matching process. Littles often have limited access to
transportation, so BBBS tries to keep a Bigs’ primary location within about a
5-10 mile radius of a Littles’ home or school. BBBS gathers all the information
to make the perfect match.
OK, I’ve got a male adult and child. They both like to hike. They both
like to go fishing. They both love pizza. It’s a match!” Martha offers as an
example. “At that point, I get the volunteer’s approval, and I get the parent’s
approval of the child. We would then meet up at the child’s home. There’s about a 40-minute match meeting. There is a
little bit of a contract – we ask for a one-year commitment from the volunteer and the child. We feel like too short of a
match is worse than no match.”
Follow up is an equally important part of the program. “Once we have a match, we stay involved with the
match,” Martha says. “We don’t just make the match and bow out of it. They are part of our program, so we follow up on
a monthly basis. We talk to the parent, the child, and the volunteer…make sure everything is on track, and everyone feels
safe and comfortable. We make sure they are going out two times a month, within reason. It’s a guideline.”
/elliesfineresale.com