Big Brothers Big Sisters is looking for mentors for a waiting list of children in the area. The nonprofit will host an open house next week to help give interested folks more information about the program.
“Mentoring can change the course of a child’s life,” said Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater Virginia Peninsula CEO Ayanna A. King, who is also a mentor. “I’ve seen it first-hand how just having someone to care about a child outside of a family unit can change a child’s life forever.”
During the open house from 2 to 5 p.m. on Jan. 23, the public can drop by the local office at 364 McLaws Circle, Suite 2, and meet the staff as well as men and women who serve as mentors.
“If mentoring interests you at all and you want to find out more information, this is the perfect format for you to do that,” King said.
There are 30 children in the Historic Triangle area who are on a waiting list until the nonprofit finds more mentors, she said.
The open house is happening during National Mentoring Month, which aims to spread the word about the benefits if mentoring.
According to King, benefits of being a “little” include receiving individual recognition, encouragement, and support; increased self-esteem and confidence when dealing with peers and adults; improved academic performance and communication skills, and a reduction of at-risk behavior.
Mentors benefit from the relationship, too. “Bigs” get the satisfaction of helping a child grow into a productive citizen; recognition for service to the community; an affirmation of professional competence and an increase in self-esteem and confidence.
The average cost to mentor a child for a year in a Big Brothers Big Sisters program is $1,200; in contrast, a high school dropout can mean a cost of $675,000 to $1 million over a lifetime in lost wages, taxes and productivity, according to a fact sheet from BBBS.
Mentoring with BBBS takes a commitment of a few hours a month, and can take place either with the child at school through the school-based program, or it can be after-school time through the community-based mentoring program.
Get more details about the local Big Brothers Big Sisters program on the nonprofit’s website or stop by the open house on Jan. 23.
