Big Brothers Big Sisters a valuable asset

Big Brothers Big Sisters is an organization that's been around for more than a century, but many people don't realize the role it plays in the development of a youngster.

BBBS is the nation's leading youth mentoring organization, and it's striving to reach local children who need a Big Brother or Big Sister through a one-on-one experience. According to the BBBS Web site, in 1904, a young New York City court clerk named Ernest Coulter was seeing more and more boys come through his courtroom. He recognized that caring adults could help many of these kids stay out of trouble, and he set out to find volunteers. And that marked the beginning of the Big Brothers movement. By 1916, Big Brothers had spread to 96 cities across the country.

At around the same time, the members of a group called Ladies of Charity were befriending girls who had come through the New York Children's Court, according to the Web site. That group would later become Catholic Big Sisters. Both groups continued to work independently until 1977, when Big Brothers of America and Big Sisters International joined forces and became Big Brothers and Big Sisters of America.

To again quote the Web site, being a Big Brother or Big Sister is a great way to make a difference in your community, including Columbia Falls and the rest of the Flathead Valley. Board members are also needed, so you might consider getting involved in that way.

BBBS of Flathead County hosted a gathering last week at the community center to introduce BBBS to interested people and explain the program. According to executive director Jori Bullemer, BBBS of Flathead County is serving 200 kids, and there are 100 more on the waiting list — waiting for mentors to show them the way.

BBBS matches youth ages 7-14 in community- and school-based programs. Christy O'Neil, whose office is at Ruder Elementary, is the Flathead County school-based program coordinator. She said there were 22 youth involved in that program last year. And there are dozens of local kids in the community-based program who are waiting for matches. Kristin Gregoire runs the Flathead community-based program.

Jori told listeners, "Children are becoming stronger and their families are getting stronger." According to statistics available at the meeting, in the last year, 70 percent of youth mentored in the community-based BBBS program showed growth in their sense of the future. And that's what it's all about: improving kids' outlook for the future and helping prepare them for it.

Monte Weisser of Kalispell, who is a member of the BBBS of Flathead County board, recently completed a mentoring experience with a young man. He had nothing but good things to say about the period of time he spent with the boy, who lives with his mother. The boy's father is not part of the household. Monte smiled when he said he enjoyed the time with the boy as much as the boy liked being mentored by Monte.

In a nutshell, BBBS mentoring programs work. According to BBBS statistics, kids are more confident in their schoolwork performance. They are able to get along with their families and that's a biggie. Nearly half are less likely to begin using illegal drugs. More than a quarter are less likely to begin using alcohol.

The BBBS motto: "Little Moments. Big Magic." Put some magic in the life of a youngster. Touch them for life. Be a Big Brother or Big Sister. Call BBBS of Flathead County at 752-0092 for more information.

Joe Sova is managing editor of the Hungry Horse News.