Big Brothers Big Sisters of Great Falls

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Great Falls needs mentors for 50 waiting children in the community based program. In this program a child is matched with an adult mentor, and the match meets at least 8 hours a month to engage in mutual interests. There is not a set schedule, the match decides when, where, and what they are going to do. In the community program, a person can be a Big Brother, Big Sister, or a Big Couple. The volunteers are carefully screened adults who are willing to commit to the program for a minimum of nine months.  There is also such thing as a part time volunteer who is not matched with a child, but works with the unmatched children at group activities.

The School-Based Mentoring Program matches high school students or adults with elementary students.  The matches meet in the school setting for one hour each week.  The time is broken into three segments including; participating in group activities promoting trust, cooperation and social interaction, spending one-on-one working on academics as assigned by the Little Buddy's teacher, and having fun time with their Big Buddy. The volunteers are carefully screened high school students or adults who are willing to commit to the program for a minimum of one semester.  Each volunteer is screened for appropriate academic, communication, and social interaction skills and a desire to help a younger child.  Training and support are provided to each mentor by Big Brothers Big Sisters. Children participating in the program are referred by their teachers or counselors.  They have been identified as children who would benefit from a one-to-one relationship. The program is intended to provide support and assistance to young children to help them increase their self-confidence, social competence and ability to care.

Over the 2005-2006 school year, BBBS’s Buddies program was successful in reaching 120 elementary students in Cascade County and providing these students with a high school mentor. To keep a successful mentoring program at East middle school, BBBS needs the support of businesses who will allow employees to leave their work for 45 minutes to one hour each week during the school year. That’s one hour a week, not day!