TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – According to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwestern Michigan, there are thousands of children patiently waiting for a Big Brother or Big Sister to raise their hand, reach out and sign up to be a mentor. In order to find more adults to fill these volunteer positions, the Northwestern Michigan chapter of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (BBBSA) has created an awareness campaign called “You are Built for This” where they hope to recruit 46 adults to provide the life-changing gift of mentorship to children in their community.

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Big Brother Jessie Carrigan says, “The impact you will make on a child’s life is life-changing. Whether it is being a good role model, a listening ear, or providing simple guidance; it will profoundly change their path in life.”

Volunteers are needed in Northwestern Michigan as well as the rest of the state and around the country. A mentor needs to be available to volunteer four to six hours a month and make a one-year commitment. That time can include anything from throwing a football around or going to the mall to playing chess or simply hanging out with a child that just needs someone to talk to and spend time with.

BBBSA has unique programs to choose from including Lunch Buddies where you meet with a child over lunch at school, or Big Duo where you can team up with a long-time friend, co-worker, partner, spouse, parent or sibling and enrich a child’s life.

Mentors who sign up to volunteer receive customized professional support from the BBBSA team every step of the way, including training and guidance throughout the life of the match.

BBBSA provides a volunteer “matchkit” which explains things like what kind of development happens during different age groups, how to start and continue the relationship, setting goals for the match, communication tips and more. They also offer activity ideas on their website and have community partners that offer discounted opportunities.

Volunteers can be any age from 16 to adults in their 80’s and they will be paired with children who are five-years-old and older. The BBBSA says these are children who would benefit from relationships and experiences that promote social and emotional growth, positive relationship-building, increased confidence and exposure to new opportunities.

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The BBBSA website touts the relationship as having an impact on the children’s self confidence, education and interactions with the juvenile justice system. With a mentor, they hope the “Bigs” help teach their “Littles” right from wrong and help them make good decisions.

BBBSA reports that after being matched with a mentor, 77% of the kids did better in school; 52% reported their “Big” kept them from dropping out of school, and 42% earned a four-year degree.

In the 2021 Annual Impact Report published in June of 2022, the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America says they are the “oldest and largest Justice, Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion (JEDI)-Focused Youth Equity & Empowerment Organization with a commitment to empower every kid on the path to graduate with a plan for their future and a mentor whose impact will last a lifetime.”

They list more than 230 agencies in over 5,000 communities in all 50 states. Their program was established in 1904 as an alternative to the juvenile justice system to reach the most marginalized youth and more than 400,000 Littles, their families, and Bigs are part of their programs each year. Their mission is to create and support one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth. Their vision is that all youth achieve their full potential.

In the Impact Report, it lists 54.07% of the Littles as female, 44.9% as male. 33.1% are Black or African American, 27.3% are White, 14.6% are Hispanic, 10.8% are Multiracial and 7.6% are unknown. The largest group of Littles in 2021 were 11-14 years old. 54.65% of the Littles only have one parent and 15% of Littles have at least one parent in jail.

The statistics on the volunteers show that 60.02% of Big volunteers are female and 39.17% male. 67.7% of the volunteers are White, 10.1% Black or African American and 5.6% Hispanic. The largest age group of the volunteers was 30-39 years old and only 19% being 50-years-old or older.

In continuation of their mission and vision, BBBSA emphasizes that youth empowerment is at the center of their governance and they are “committed to expanding our mentoring model, creating greater access to mentoring experiences by building stronger alliances, delivering mentoring strategies that account for the uniqueness and diversity of young people today, and attracting families and volunteers in ways that meet them where they are in life.”