Big Brothers Big Sisters, Bright Futures

Isaac Weaver, a 23-year-old employee of the KLRC Radio Station, was headed out of the office to a lunch meeting last Thursday. He wasn’t sharing or planning to share a meal with his wife or a business associate, but with a student at Southside Elementary School.

Weaver has been a volunteer for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Siloam Springs for three or four months and said he’s been having a lot of fun with his little brother. He spends about one hour a week eating lunch with his little brother at school, where they also play board games and talk about Star Wars.

Big Brothers Big Sisters partnered with the Siloam Springs School District’s Bright Futures program to open up mentoring opportunities in the school district and community. Weaver is one of about 19 local volunteers who are taking on the role of a mentor.

One of Bright Futures main objectives is setting up mentoring relationships for students, according to Sarah Jones, Bright Futures director. Big Brothers Big Sisters is a well-established, well respected and effective mentoring program so the partnership was a natural fit, said Grace Davis, director of teacher quality and community relations.

“At the core, Bright Futures connects existing community resources to enrich the lives of their children,” Davis said. “A critical existing resource is adults who can offer time, interest and individual attention to a child.”

The local Bright Futures program received a United Way grant to form a partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Arkansas, and establish the

We all say we’re busy but we’ve all got time. This is something worth making the time for. Jason Carter Big Brothers Big Sisters volunteer

program in the Siloam Springs School District, Jones said.

The school district has a site-based program and a community program, both coordinated by Tiffany Hansen. The sitebased program started at Southside Elementary School in the early fall. Volunteer mentors, referred to as bigs, come and eat lunch with their third- or fourth-grade student, referred to as littles, once a week. The community-based program serves children age 6 through 14, and children interact with their mentors outside of school.

Bigs can be a family, a couple or an individual, Hansen said. The goal of the grant is to create 25 matches in Siloam Springs by the end of the year. Currently there are 33 children in the program and 15 matches have been made, meaning 11 kids are still in need of a mentor.

Many of the children already have caring adults in their life, but could benefit from some quality time with a mentor, Jones said. Students are chosen by their teachers or school counselors to participate. Some students come from single parent households while others are being raised by a grandparent, or have other circumstances in their lives, who would benefit from mentoring.

Weaver said volunteering is an awesome experience. Although he is a self-described introvert, he found that mentoring was really just about entering into a friendship. He often plays the role of a listener and focuses on just putting in quality time with his little brother.

“They will surprise you and be ready to engage in conversation,” he said.

Spending time with his little brother has also changed Weaver’s perspective. Being around a younger person has helped him get out of his routine and see life as more exciting, he said.

Hansen interviews both bigs and littles to get an idea of there preferences, then makes matches based on personalities, interests and other commonalities. Volunteers range in age from 18 to grandparents, Hansen said. Some local businesses have put together teams of volunteers, and several John Brown University students are serving as mentors, she said.

Mentors don’t have to have any degrees or special experience working with children, they just need to be willing to spend time with kids, Jones said.

Jason Carter and his family have served as mentors in the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Siloam Springs community program for about two months. Carter, who works for the school district as the food service director, was inspired to get involved by the huge need he saw for positive role models in children’s lives.

“We all say we’re busy but we’ve all got time,” Carter said. “This is something worth making the time for.”

Carter and his wife were prepared for volunteering to be challenging, but have found their little brother has fit right into their family activities. They have even brought him along while running errands with their children.

“We’re not doing anything different,” he said. “We’re just including him in what we do. You don’t have to make a big production.”

Volunteering is an opportunity to have a big impact in a child’s life, Carter said.

Statistics show that children in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program are less likely to initiate drug and alcohol use, more likely to achieve success in school and avoid risky behavior, and more likely to be able to hold a job and stay out of jail as adults, Hansen said.

Recent survey statistics from the organization show that 86 percent of children involved in the program improved their self-confidence, 93 percent had improved peer relationships, 81 percent had improved attitude toward school, 76 percent had improved school attendance, 92 percent had improved ability to avoid fights, 72 percent had improved their trust in adults and 83 percent had an improved outlook on the future.

Once a volunteer fills out an application, they will go through a background screening procedure to ensure the safety of the children. Bigs are then provided with training and tools to help them in their role as a mentor, Hansen said.

For bigs volunteering in the school-based program, the organization provides board games, crafts and sports equipment to help mentors spend time with their littles. Many kids just want to sit and talk or throw a football around, Hansen said.

The organization also provides resources for those who volunteer in the community program, such as tickets to Razorback games or Arvest Ballpark. However, Hansen emphasized free activities such as going to the park or having the child over to bake cookies are encouraged, and enjoyed just as much as expensive outings.

There is still a need for volunteer mentors, especially males, Hansen said. In addition to the 11 kids who are still waiting for a match, the program hopes to grow in numbers and expand from Southside Elementary School to other buildings next year.

“One hour a week of your time can make such a huge impact for a kid,” Jones said.

For more information call 479-524-8175 or visit www.bbbsnwa.org.