ABOUT MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Each week, Meredith Moss profiles a non-profit organization in our community, focusing on its specific needs.
If your group has a wish list to share with readers, contact Meredith: MMoss@coxohio.com
Moss and this column have been honored with the first “Friend of Philanthropy Award” from the Association of Fund-raising Professionals.
We’ve written about Big Brothers Big Sisters, the wonderful organization that provides children facing adversity with role models who regularly meet with them one-on-one.
“The youth may live with a single parent or with grandparents, struggle academically or socially,” explains CEO Anne Pfeiffer. “Bigs give four to six hours of their time each month for a year, and amazing things happen. Kids learn life and relationship skills and academics improve all because there’s an additional person in their life that they can count on.”
Here’s one inspiring example: Big Brother Brian met Little Brother Tyler in 2005 and over the years they’ve enjoyed sporting events, bowling and miniature golf together and become great friends. Pfeiffer says Brian helped Tyler with school projects, reviewed his report cards and attended Tyler’s sporting events.
“My classmates and neighbors have gotten into trouble at school and with the cops,” Tyler says, “but I always have my mom and Big Brother to help me navigate life and make good decisions. He’s that voice I need to hear.”
The community-based Littles are matched to Bigs (mentors) in the community and enjoy outings that take place in the community. The site or school-based Littles are matched and get together within a site or school environment.
The organization’s impressive statistics suggest that after a year of mentoring, 86 percent of the Littles improved performance in one or more school subjects, 84 percent increased or maintained their educational expectations to finish high school and complete college and 97 percent of Littles say their relationship with their “Big” is very important to them.
“Our goal is to serve 600 children this year,” Pfeiffer says. “To do that, we need more caring adults willing to commit a few hours each week. Currently we have more than 100 youngsters waiting for a ‘Big’ and most of those are boys.”
If you don’t have the time to be matched with a child, you can still help by donating items that will help create special memories for the Bigs and Littles.
Here’s what they need:
- Tickets to local sporting events and performances
- Gift cards and discount cards for movies, restaurants or fun activities throughout town
- School supplies for a back-to-school backpack drive. These include scissors, glue sticks, crayons, calculators, composition notebooks, 2-inch binders, protractors, single notebooks, pocket folders, colored pencils, etc.
- You can also host a match activity for 12-20 Bigs and Littles. Some examples? You could sponsor a craft session, cooking class, or trip to the bowling alley, college basketball game, water park or the theater.
You can drop off wish list items from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Big Brothers Big Sisters offices, 22 S. Jefferson St., Dayton (across from the RTA hub) or contact Mercedes Dossa at mdossa@bbbsgmv.org.
Other ways to help
If you’re in an organization that needs speakers, you can invite someone from Big Brothers Big Sisters to talk to your group about the mentoring program.
It’s also time for the organization’s largest fundraiser, “Over the Edge” 2016. Participating in Over the Edge is an opportunity for individuals, companies and community members to raise donations for Big Brothers Big Sisters for a once-in-a-lifetime experience of going over the edge of the 27-story KeyBank Tower,” Pfeiffer says. ” The goal is to raise $150,000 to support matching more kids with caring adult mentors.”
Over the Edge is slated for Friday, Aug. 5, at the KeyBank Tower, Courthouse Square. Each participant raises $1,000. Register at: www.bbbsgmv.org/ote or call (937) 641-6803.
If you’d rather keep your feet on the ground, you can still attend the VIP Drop Party and Downtown Dayton Partnership’s Adventure Night from 5-9 p.m. at Courthouse Square, downtown Dayton.
For more information, see www.bbbsgmv.org/ote
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