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Big Brothers Big Sisters forms Matches Made in Heaven
Note: This is the second in a weekly series of articles submitted
by the United Way of Union County that will run during the course of its annual campaign. Each week will feature
a different United Way program. This week’s article features Big Brothers Big Sisters of Union County
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Samantha (left) and Beth.
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Like any 12-year old, Samantha of Marysville enjoys all-night sleepovers at her friend’s house. The pair spends afternoons
biking and rollerblading. They bake cookies, wash the car, and go to church together. Unlike most 12-year olds,
Samantha’s friend is three times her age.
Samantha is one of 51 children matched with an adult mentor in the Big Brothers Big Sisters Union County Program,
a United Way Member Agency. For the last four years, she’s been paired with Plain City’s Beth Gingerich, and the duo has forged a
friendship that impacts both participants.
"Samantha is not only my little sister, but someone I enjoy doing stuff with," said Gingerich. "It’s
been challenging to me to be a good role model for a younger person. I have become more thankful that I grew up
in a stable home with my Mom and Dad."
Gingerich volunteered to become a mentor after being encouraged by a friend who was a Big Sister in the program.
She thought it would be a good opportunity to make a difference in someone’s life. It has. She was paired with
Samantha, who is the oldest of three sisters and who was described as someone who "forgot how to be a kid."
Program coordinators say Gingerich has made a difference in Samantha’s choices and lifestyle. Gingerich has seen
the difference herself. |
"Samantha has grown up a lot since I’ve known her," Gingerich said. "She
was seven when I met her in July 2001 and now she’s nearly 12! She has become more cooperative and willing to try
new things. I think she’s also grown in respect for others."
Gingerich’s story is like most others in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. Children are between the ages of
five and 14 when they come into the program. Typically, they are "at-risk" youth in need of an adult
role model. It used to be that they came from single-parent families, but that’s no longer the case. The children,
known as "littles," are then paired with "bigs," the adult role models who have gone through
a screening process and background check. Ideally, a long-term relationship ensues.
"Anyone who knows how to be a friend can be a big," said Marian
Jacques, Program Manager. "It’s that simple. You don’t have to be Mother
Teresa. It’s just about being a friend to a child, having fun, being a kid yourself again, and having a good time."
The success of the program has been documented by a national research study conducted by Public Private Ventures.
It found that "littles" are 46-percent less likely to begin using illegal drugs, 27-percent less likely
to begin using alcohol, 52-percent less likely to skip school, 37-percent less likely to skip a class, more confident
of their performance in schoolwork, 33-percent less likely to hit someone, and better able to get along with their
peers and families.
Couples or families can also be "bigs." It doesn’t take any special training. Just a big heart. The "littles"
on the list are just looking for someone to talk with, to take them to new places, and to expose them to new ideas.
"I encourage others to consider involvement with Big Brothers Big Sisters," said Gingerich. "Those
of us who have grown up in stable homes have a lot to share with a child who doesn’t have that."
Potential volunteers who may not have the ability to commit to a long-term relationship can tutor children at their
school in the organization’s School-Based Mentoring Program. The Friend-to-Friend Program matches adults and kids
on the waiting list in short-term situations, perhaps for one-day special events.
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FAST FACTS ABOUT THE BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS
UNION COUNTY PROGRAM:
- 2005 United Way allocation was $26,000, or 35% of its budget.
- Additional funding is provided by the annual Bowl for Kids Sake fundraiser (conducted
the first Saturday of March at Marysville Lanes) and the Big Brothers Big Sisters Association of Central Ohio.
- 51 children ages 6-18 ("littles") are currently matched with adult mentors
("bigs") meeting at least twice a month for fun, one-on-one activities.
- Big Brothers Big Sisters has been mentoring children for 101 years. It began when
Ernest Coulter, a court clerk in New York City, became increasingly appalled by the suffering and misery of the
thousands of children who came through the system. Later that year, he appeared before a group of civic and business
leaders and described a boy about to be jailed: "There is only one way to save that youngster, and that is
to have some earnest, true man volunteer to be his Big Brother, to look after him, help him to do right, make the
little chap feel that there is at least one human being in this great city who takes a personal interest in him.
Someone who cares whether he lives or dies. I call for a volunteer!" Every man in the room raised his hand.
- Big Brothers Big Sisters expanded into Columbus in 1933 and eventually became a
United Way of Union County Member Agency with its current local program established in Marysville in 1998.
- For more information about Big Brothers Big Sisters of Union County call their
office at (937) 642-2157 or visit www.marysville-ohio.com/bbbs.
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