Big Brothers Big Sisters of Utah recruits 65 men in 60 days
Male volunteers still needed to make positive impacts in the lives of Utah boys
By Summer Devotchka
Kicking off June 1 and ending July 30, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Utah ran its annual campaign, Real Men Mentor: 60 Men 60 Days, with the goal of recruiting 60 new male mentors within 60 days. The campaign ended with BBBSU successfully recruiting not just 60 men but 65! This made a significant dent in the number of boys waiting for a “Big Brother” of their very own.
At the beginning of the summer, there were 179 boys on BBBSU’s waiting list. There are now 114 still waiting. The Real Men Mentor: 60 Men 60 Days campaign has helped BBBSU make a difference in the lives of many boys in Utah, but they are still looking for more men to step up, volunteer, and be positive role models. The main goal is to continue working towards filling that gap so no child has to wait more than a year to be matched with a “Big.”
Mentoring can effect generations. Meet Daniel. At seven years old, Little Brother Daniel was matched with Farrant. When Farrant relocated for medical school after being matched for 5 years, they continued to keep in touch via phone and email. Recognizing the impact his Big Brother had on him, Daniel’s mother opted to have him re-matched in the program.
Big Brother Nate and Daniel spent the next 6 years hiking, playing video games, and snowboarding. After graduating from high school, Daniel decided that he wanted to give a child the same opportunities that he had been given by his two Big Brothers. Today, Daniel has been matched with Little Brother Henry since May 2017 and is a successful adult now running his own business. Daniel credits much of his success to his mom, who was a single mother who recognized his need for a male role model. A few months ago, Daniel invited his Little Brother, Henry, and two Big Brothers, Farrant and Nate, to a barbecue at his house. Even their Match Support Specialist from BBBSU, Maria Sainz, showed up! Farrant had since moved back to Utah, and Nate is now mentoring a new Little Brother, Jaiden. All joined in on the festivities.
BBBSU invites men to mentor as they are, because “Bigs” come in all shapes, sizes, and ages. BBBSU is asking Utah men to do their duty in improving the future of our communities while making a lifelong friend in the process. Anyone interested in being a volunteer can visit the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Utah website at bbbsu.org to learn more about how to become a Big Brother or look into the different mentoring programs offered.
Big Brothers Big Sisters is the nation’s largest donor and volunteer supported mentoring network. In Utah, BBBSU serves Cache, Davis, Salt Lake, Summit, Utah, Washington, and Weber counties, partnering with parents, guardians, schools, corporations, and others in the community to carefully pair children “Littles” with screened volunteer mentors “Bigs.” The mission of these relationships is to achieve measurable outcomes for children in three areas: avoidance of risky behaviors, educational success, and emotional intelligence. To learn more about BBBSU or to become a volunteer or mentor, please visit bbbsu.org.
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