Here in the Lowcountry, Bowl for Kids’ Sake has been a part of the community for over a decade. By participating in Bowl For Kids’ Sake, the community plays an important role in the success of Big Brothers Big Sisters. This support will help BBBS serve more children — children forever changed by their experience.

This year, the Bowl for Kids’ Sake campaign includes three events — two traditional daytime bowling events and an evening happy hour event. In addition to those scheduled events, supporters can also opt to plan and hold their own Wii bowling parties in support of the campaign. For more information on each event, including more details on how you can become involved as a sponsor or player, click here.

More than 350 people are expected to participate in this year’s campaign events.

“Our goal is to get more people involved to help raise $45,000 during this year’s campaign. All monies raised by during Bowl for Kids’ Sake support tri-county children and will help us to match a Big with 50 young boys and girls,” stated Mandy Treadway Scherer, Program Director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of CYDC.

In 2012, nation wide, Bowl for Kids’ Sake was the largest athletic fundraiser of any youth-serving organization. With your help, we can make sure our staff has the resources necessary to screen, recruit and train more volunteers.

To join the fun and become a bowler, a team captain, a sponsor, or all three, call Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Carolina Youth Development Center at (843) 266-5232 or visit BecomeABig.org.

The young people were part of the first large-scale evaluation to assess how mentoring affects “higher-risk” youth. Noted mentoring researchers, Carla Herrera, David DuBois and Jean Grossman studied more than 1,300 youth enrolled in seven Washington State mentoring programs, including five Big Brothers Big Sisters agencies.

Washington State Mentors served as the intermediary for the study.
Youth with mentors, compared to those without mentors who faced similar challenges, improved in their social competence, academic attitudes and grades. The strongest findings were related to decreases in symptoms of depression—an especially noteworthy outcome given that nearly one in four youth in the study reported high levels of depressive symptoms before being matched with mentors.

“Depression has been linked to a host of short- and long-term problems for young people, including suicidal behavior, academic and social difficulties, and increased risk for substance abuse and teen pregnancy,” the researchers reported. “The study’s findings offer robust evidence that participation in volunteer-centered, one-to-one, community-based mentoring programs can ameliorate and/or prevent the emergence of depressive symptoms,” they added.

“When young people face multiple life challenges, their families and communities suffer as well,” said Big Brothers Big Sisters of America President and CEO Charles Pierson. “While a number of studies have found that one-to-one mentoring helps ‘at-risk’ children, this new research provides important insights about the impact of our work on youth who face a range of issues, including those who face higher levels and severity of risk factors.”

The study revealed the importance of careful screening for mental health concerns at intake, in combination with referral mechanisms for those who are in need of additional support. Of note, the researchers found that while mentoring programs are successful at reaching youth with lower-risk profiles, they are also able to reach those who meet the “higher-risk” threshold, without significant efforts beyond their normal recruitment strategies.

The study found mentors who received early-match training and consistent phone support met more frequently and had longer-lasting relationships with their mentees. Youth whose mentors received in-person group training also reported higher-quality relationships. The researchers noted that offering tailored training and support to mentors, mentees and families based on the specific risks youth face has the potential to produce even stronger benefits.

For more information on how you can become involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters of CYDC as a Big, or if you’re interested in getting a mentor for your child, call the Big Brothers Big Sisters office at (843) 266-5232.

Big Brothers Big Sisters mentoring works.

You know this because you’ve given to Big Brothers Big Sisters of CYDC. And I know this because I have had the privilege of being a Big for seven years.

Will you please help us to match mentors with more children this year by making a gift?

Funding provides for targeted volunteer and child recruiting, careful volunteer screening, extensive training, and coordinated matching. Donations allow us to provide long-term staff support for volunteers, children and families, insuring child safety and sustaining successful long-term relationships with positive outcomes.

Chandler and I met when he was just 8 years old. His mother was raising him and his 2 brothers alone, and sought out the BBBS program for the support of a positive role model. When I met him, Chandler was very quiet and shy and had not experienced much outside of his neighborhood. Chandler is now 14 years old and will be a sophomore in high school this year. Over the years, he and I have bonded while fishing and hunting. Chandler was even part of my wedding and was there when my wife and I welcomed our own son.

Image courtesy of Flickr user ralph and jenny

Over the past seven years, I have seen Chandler blossom into a confident and successful young man – very different from the shy 8-year-old I first met! Chandler does very well in school and is on target to graduate on time and attend college. He is in the band at Wando High School. His mom says that he would not be the great kid he is today without having met me. And I wouldn’t be the man I am today had I not met Chandler.

“You know, the best part about having Mr. Ron in my life is just being able to call him when things are going wrong or when things get frustrating. He listens to me and encourages me – he constantly checks on me! Mr. Ron is so awesome – I mean he is still with me after all these years – even after his getting married and having a baby. It feels great to know he is there for me as someone I can depend on.”

Your donation will START SOMETHING for the more than 150 children on our waiting list from single-parent families in our tri-county community who may not graduate from high school unless they’re matched with a role model who inspires them to succeed.

Please make your gift before year-end by visiting www.becomeabig.org. Because Chandler and I are proof – BBBS mentoring works!

Ron Carpenter
Big Brother, BBBS of CYDC

Chandler
Little Brother, BBBS of CYDC

Help 8-year-old Joey get over the death of his father and start feeling better about himself, just by making a gift today.

Since 1979 more than 8,000 tri-county children have been given the chance to grow up with confidence and graduate from high school, thanks to Big Brothers Big Sisters of CYDC.

Former Little Brother Philip says Big Brothers Big Sisters meant the entire world to him growing up. “Week in and week out, I knew my Big Brother was there for me. Whether we went to the movies, attended a baseball game, or studied for my 8th grade history test (on which I earned an A), Tony never let me down.” Today, Philip is giving back as a mentor.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of CYDC has the mentors and the children who need them. We need your financial support to provide our life-changing services to children right here in the Tri-county area – services like background checks, mentor training, and match support – so we can develop more college graduates, community leaders, and entrepreneurs.

Our largest funding source has reduced its support significantly in recent weeks. Donations, grants and special event fundraising are the only sources of income to support our local program, so we need your help now.

No matter how little or big the amount, your donation helps change the lives of many young people around you – children like Joey and Philip. Please make a donation today:

• $1,000 supports a match for a year;
• $500 for six months;
• $250 for three months;
• $100 provides background checks and initial training.
• $50 or $25 will help toward all of the activities we provide for our Bigs and Littles.

You can make a difference in hundreds of children’s lives – just visit www.becomeabig.org.

Sincerely,

Mike Kelley
President, Big Brothers Big Sisters Advisory Council

P.S. It’s not just a donation. It’s an investment in a child’s future. START SOMETHING today!

Together since 2004 when Terrence was just 8 years old, Bill is a 67-year old man, and Terrence is a 16-year old from a single parent home. The two have been matched for eight years, spending time with each other going out to eat, checking out local sporting events and talking on the phone. Bill also attends many of Terrence’s track meets and football games, and he provided assistance for Terrence to be able to attend a national track meet last summer.

*Names have been changed.

January is National Mentoring Month — a time to celebrate the work of mentoring organizations like ours in bringing together people like Bill and Terrence in successful mentoring relationships. National Mentoring Month is a nationwide initiative to call attention to the need for mentors in communities like the Lowcountry.

In addition to a need for African American male mentors, Big Brothers Big Sisters of CYDC also has an urgent and ongoing need for financial support of its programs. It takes about $1,000 a year to provide each Big-Little match with the volunteer training, match management, and match support that are the hallmarks of the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. An investment in Big Brothers Big Sisters pays off BIG for the Lowcountry — compared to their peers, matched youth are 52% less likely to skip school and 54% less likely to get arrested.

Youth served by Big Brothers Big Sisters are primarily children of single, low-income or incarcerated parents, or they are in military families or are coping with other challenges.

“We hold ourselves accountable for the proven youth outcomes that are unique to Big Brothers Big Sisters mentoring programs, including academic achievement; avoidance of risky and delinquent behaviors; and higher self esteem and aspirations,” said Barbara Kelley Duncan, CEO of Carolina Youth Development Center.

“Our committed board, volunteer leaders, and program and mentoring staff work with parents, volunteer mentors, donors and partners from the diverse communities we serve to give children who face adversity every opportunity to succeed. National Mentoring Month is a time to pay tribute to the Big Brothers Big Sisters village and to encourage others to Start Something to extend our reach.”

For more information on how you can get involved as a Volunteer, click here. If you are a parent who would like to enroll a child, click here.