From Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas, this month's Get Involved spotlight organization:
About Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas exists to help young people in our community – particularly those facing adversity – achieve their biggest possible futures. We do this by creating and supporting one-to-one mentoring relationships between children ages 6 – 16 and caring adult volunteers who offer support and encouragement to each child.
We serve children in Travis, Hays and Williamson counties who often have the odds stacked against them. Eighty-nine percent live at or below the poverty line, 68% are from single-parent households, and 40% have an incarcerated family member.
Big Brothers Big Sisters’ program has a direct and lasting effect on the lives of young people, their families, and the greater Austin community. Research shows that youth in our program feel more confident, have better social skills, and attend school and college at higher rates than their peers. They are also significantly less likely to use drugs or alcohol, engage in risky or violent behavior, or become parents at an early age.
We provide additional programming to serve the needs of special populations, including children from military families, older youth transitioning to adulthood, and high school students planning for higher education.
The impacts of our program are great, but the need is even greater. While we currently serve approximately 1,000 children in Central Texas each year, at any given time there up to 500 kids who are still waiting to be matched with a Big Brother or Big Sister of their own. We are always in need of more volunteers to serve as positive adult role models for children in our community. We have a particular need for volunteers who are men, men of color, and bilingual volunteers.
Make A BIG Difference – Become A Big Brother or Sister
Volunteering as a Big Brother or Big Sister is easy, fun and impactful. “Bigs” commit to spending a few hours a month with their “Little” for a minimum of a year. Together, they’ll spend time in the community doing things they already enjoy – like playing basketball, visiting the library, or learning new cooking skills.
Help ignite the power and promise of youth by becoming a Big Brother or Sister today. A little bit of time can make a lifetime of difference for a child.
To learn more about Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas, visit https://www.bigmentoring.org.
To learn more about volunteering, visit https://www.bigmentoring.org/be-a-big-2/.
To learn more about enrolling a child, visit https://www.bigmentoring.org/get-a-big-2/.
**UPDATE 05/01/20**
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas has announced newly developed Online Volunteer Information Sessions. To learn more about how our one-to-one mentoring program works, the impact that mentors make, and how to get started., sign-up for a free, 20-minute Online Volunteer Information Sessions at https://www.bigmentoring.org/events/ . Time will also be reserved for Q & A.
