Chastity Kratzer, Partnership Development Chair from Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Louisiana, addressed the Sulphur Rotary Club on Wednesday and extended an invitation to be a part of a young child's life through the program.
"Big Brothers Big Sisters was established in early 1970s in Southwest Louisiana. A common misconception about our organization is that it is a foster home. It is not a foster home. Our organization matches children referred by their families or school counselor to an adult who pledges to mentor and spend time with them."
The local chapter of big Brothers Big Sisters administers two types of buddy relationships: the Core Program and the Lunch Buddy Program.
The Core Program matches a six to 18-year-old with an adult of the same gender who will provide a positive friendship in a situation where the child lacks such an influence. "Bigs" and "Littles," as the mentors and mentees are called, respectively, spend time together at least twice a month for about two hours. Bigs make a one-year commitment to their Littles.
Big Brothers (or Sisters) can choose to structure time with their Littles any way they choose.
"We host some in-house activities for our Core Program participants. In the past we've gotten tickets to Swashbucklers games for them and held picnics," Kratzer said.
"Often, the children come back and tell us that the time they spend with their Big isn't filled with talking - once a little brother told me that the highlight of his day was taking apart a [leaf] blower and putting it back together. It's all about the time spent that helps to make the difference in the child's life," Kratzer said.
That difference Kratzer mentioned is quantifiable - according to Big Brothers Big Sisters literature, a child with a Big Brother or Big Sister is 46 percent less likely to begin using illegal drugs, 52 percent less likely to skip school and 33 percent less likely to hit someone. Over half improve their school performance and two-thirds show higher levels of self-confidence.
"The Lunch Buddy Program is our newer endeavor. It offers individuals the opportunity to participate at a critical time in a child's development. An adult chooses a school near your place of employment or home and Big Brothers Big Sisters will contact the school to identify a child who could benefit from a special friend. These children are typically struggling academically or socially. Having lunch with a child can greatly change both results - after only a short time with their buddies, school counselors have reported that grades have gone up and the child seems to have more friends. Lunch buddies have lunch at least twice a month."
Big Brothers Big Sisters' annual fundraiser is Bowl For Kids' Sake, a night of bowling to benefit the organization. Last year, local businesses and church groups pitched in and helped raise over $164,000.
To learn more about Big Brothers Big Sisters of SWLA including information on how to become a mentor in either program, visit their website at www.bbbs-swla.net or call 337-478-KIDS.
Sulphur, La. —
