“I would love to see us have a waiting list of Big Brothers and Big Sisters instead of a waiting list for children,” he said.
The campaign aims to gather volunteers by the end of September.
To be am adult mentor with BBBS, applicants submit personal information, references, take a criminal background check and submit a driving record. An enrollment specialist meets with the applicant for a face-to-face interview. T
he interview centers around the applicant’s personal information to determine which “Little” they should be paired with.
While there is no timeline for how long a match will take, the program said it takes as much time as it needs for a good match between the applicant and their Little. According to the program’s website, matches are “based in part on location, personalities, interests and cultural backgrounds.”
Littles can be between the ages of six and 13 when they enter the program, but they can stay matched until they are 18. Littles can enroll or be enrolled in programs for many reasons.
“Little Brothers and Little Sisters come from communities all across Butler County,” the BBBS website states. “They get involved with our program because they, their family, a school official, court personnel or another professional has identified that having a mentor would be beneficial for the youth. Most Littles are self-referred — meaning that they or their family wants them to have a mentor.”
“Erase the Wait” was created to fill empty slots for mentors and find the right people in the area. Stephens said there are more than enough qualified people in Butler County who should volunteer.
“Mentors are impacting the future by investing in children today,” Stephens said. “I know we have more than 100 great people in this county who can share their time with a youth a few hours a month.”
How to volunteer
Anyone interested in volunteering or learning more can visit the BBBS of Butler County website, bbbsbutler.org. Groups or organizations may contact Director of Marketing and Recruitment Jessica Huentelman at Jessica.huentelman@bbbsbutler.org or (513) 867-1227 ext. 141.
About the Author