1. With social isolation and confusing public events, young people need our support now more than ever.
The youth in our program are all facing adversity in some way. Of the kids we serve, 85% live at or below poverty level. Of those kids in Kansas, one in four will not walk across the stage and get their high school diploma. Many also come from single-parent homes (80%) and homes with drug and/or alcohol abuse (60%). Some (40%) have either personally witnessed or experienced domestic violence.
The recent social isolation and racial injustices can be difficult for all of us, but vulnerable families and youth will suffer the most. Right now is a vital time to focus on our young peoples’ health and wellbeing, and their futures. They need our help and support.
2. Thousands of Littles across Kansas are still waiting for a best-fit Big Brother or Sister.
With the reality of childhood poverty in Kansas, the demand for our services is high. The need for more volunteer mentors (AKA Bigs) is consistently evident which is why we work hard to narrow the waitlist for our youth (AKA Littles).
We will always have some sort of waitlist because we match Bigs and Littles not on a first-come, first-served basis, but on a thorough and intentional analysis of common interests, personality, preferences, and location. A best-fit match is the cornerstone of success of our one-to-one mentoring program. These relationships are more natural, meaningful, and long lasting.
3. You CAN affect change and bridge gaps of understanding with people of different backgrounds.
We bring people of various races, ethnicities, socioeconomic status, and family backgrounds together, to value each person, and to see differences as strengths that make each of us unique.
We seek to build bridges of understanding. Our Bigs in Blue program, for example, creates meaningful relationships between law enforcement and the communities they serve.
4. You have thought about it before but have yet to take the leap.
We have heard countless times how our volunteers have thought about it many times before actually signing up to learn more about becoming a Big Brother or Sister. Perhaps they were waiting until their schedule clears up, or until they accomplish certain life goals, or simply just for waiting for another sign of inspiration.
5. Pumpkin patches.
Enough said, right? All joking aside, we have a saying that we use often which is “make your ordinary their extraordinary.” Meaning, what might seem mundane to you could make a world of a difference to your Little.
It is possible that your future Little has yet to experience the simplest of activities like baking cookies, playing catch, or even going to the pumpkin patch. We ask that you simply bring your Little along with you to the activities that you already enjoy doing.
6. You really can make a positive impact on a child’s life.
We are very proud that year after year our outcome measures demonstrate that youth matched with a Big have increased self-esteem, perform better in school, have better relationships with peers and family, and are able to make better decisions and avoid risky behaviors.
The success of the program is real. Frankly, it is pretty amazing the positive changes that occur in our Littles just because someone like you decided to simply spend time with them.
7. You’ve made it this far in the article.
We thank you for taking the time to read this story and learn more about who we are as an organization. We did a quick Google search and found that most people only read about 20% of an article like this one – or they just simply read the headline. If you’ve gotten this far, it’s very likely you are genuinely interested in becoming a Big and we invite you to take the first step and fill out an online inquiry form today.
Not ready yet? That’s okay. Keep us in mind for the future and please help us spread the word by sharing this article on your social media. Thank you!
Comments