Big Brothers & Big Sisters of Northeast Ohio has been a community staple for over 25 years in Lake, Geauga, and Ashtabula Counties. Their mission is, “To foster the development of children in reaching their highest potential as responsible and caring adults. We do this by providing quality volunteer mentoring relationships with a supportive adult, and educational programs which are supervised by our professional staff.”
The vision for the organization is: “Guided by our mission and core values, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Ohio will be the premier mentoring organization for children. We will establish high standards and programs to meet the constantly changing needs of children. We will accomplish our goals throughout the organization and will be the model against which other organizations gauge their success. We will work together to create a legacy of services to children and, in so doing, recognize and celebrate the contributions of clientele, staff, volunteers, board members, donors and other funders.”
Outreach coordinator, Shannon Majewski, a current big sister herself, started with the organization about two and a half months ago. She explained that they serve Lake, Geauga, and Ashtabula Counties. They have two primary types of programming out there. “What we do is we have two programs; a community based program and an after school program. In our community based program, we take children ages 6 through 15.5 and match them with a positive role model in their lives,” she said. “Whereas the after school program is similar, we match them with a high school student volunteer, and they meet once a week after school participating in activities and mentorship as well. “ This takes place at the local elementary school in the district where the students are enrolled.
Majewski is very proud of the group’s after school programs. “We currently have 12 after school programs.” These are located in various areas. “Mentor High School is a big one, South High, North High are big ones, and we have some additional schools involved in Geauga County. They are all coordinated in one area between schools and our program director. We get the program set up and then get volunteers.”
Children are recommended into an after school program by their teachers, counselor, or parents. The school will send home an informational letter and application to the child’s parent or guardian. Or parents may download an application packet directly by clicking on the link below. The completed application should be returned to the school or may be mailed directly to the Big Brothers Big Sisters office, and the child’s name will be added to the program.”
Each after school mentoring program meets one day each week, typically for two hours after regular school hours. The day of the program and the time (usually 3:00 – 5:00) are determined by the school. There are no school programs on Friday. All volunteers are to come directly to the elementary school to which they are assigned. They must provide their own transportation.
There are no fees associated with the after school mentoring program. The program is free to all children enrolled. Big Brothers Big Sisters provides all materials for activities and crafts. They also provide a snack and drink to each child.
Majewski talked about what gets The Big Brothers & Big Sisters’ team motivated. “We serve children. There’s no better way to say it. Our volunteers are helping change the lives of children in need.” She shared her story of being involved with the program for about 5.5 years. “It’s always been a dream for me to work with this agency. Then 2.5 months ago I was able to get a job with them.”
She talked about what happens to the students and their bigs who move onto the community based program. “Most big’s don’t continue on.” You have to be 18 to work with the community based program. “However, we are always willing to take more volunteers on.”
What’s involved with the community based program? Majewski explained. “Parents sign their child up. We have to have full consent from the parent. There is an application and other paperwork that need to be filled out. Once that application comes back to us then it gets sent to our Match Coordinator. Our Match Coordinator tries to match the bigs and littles up based on their likes/and dislikes. This can take some time. Big Brothers & Big Sisters takes great pride in making sure they get the best fit.”
Big Brothers & Big Sisters has three major fundraisers per year, plus they get a lot of funding through United Way and the local mental health board. Here’s a schedule of fundraising events for the year:
- November-Festival of Trees at LaMalfa
- March/April-Bowl for Kids’ Sake
- June-Golf Tournament
The group’s biggest marketing challenges boil down to funding. “We do serve Lake, Geauga, and Ashtabula counties. We do not do a lot of marketing out in Ashtabula County due to low funding there. With any marketing, it’s always based on funding,” Majewski said. “We did get some funding through Lake and Geauga counties to increase our marketing through social media and some of the radio stations.” They have seen consistent growth with it. In September, they were able to get stats on social media awareness and response to their posts. “Our posts have seen a dramatic jump.”
Majewski is especially passionate about Big Brothers & Big Sisters because of her work with the organization prior to getting hired onto the staff. “My little was 8 years old when I met her. The first time I picked her up, she was helping her brother and sister do their homework, cooking meals, etc.”
She was touched by the situation as she was able to help care for this young lady and work with her to stay in school, get good grades and teach her life skills. Today, her little is in high school and has expressed interest in being a big eventually.
If you are interested in learning more about Big Brothers & Big Sisters of Northeast Ohio, check out their website or on Facebook.
