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What do we achieve?
Big Brothers Big Sisters helps children achieve success in school, helps them avoid risky behaviors such as getting in to fights and trying drugs and alcohol, and helps them improve their self-confidence. We hold ourselves accountable to our supporters by regularly measuring our impact.
Whom do we serve?
Big Brothers Big Sisters seeks to change the lives of children facing adversity between 5 and 18 years of age. Our network of volunteers, donors, and supporters come from all walks of life, and all backgrounds,, in Cedar, Louisa, and Muscatine Counties.
What do we do?
Our unique brand of one-to-one mentoring, in which a child facing adversity is matched with a caring adult is supported by professional Big Brothers Big Sisters staff members for the entirety of the match.
Community Based Mentoring
Community-based Mentoring is the traditional Big Brothers Big Sisters relationship. It’s all about one-on-one time spent with the volunteer and the young person doing things they enjoy — a few hours a couple times a month filled with shared interests and activities like: Shooting hoops, Playing a board game, Sharing a pizza, Taking a walk in the park, o r just hanging out and talking.
The schedule can be flexible to meet the needs of mentors and young people in different kinds of situations. Some Bigs meet their Littles on the weekend or in the evening. Others get together with their Littles after school. There’s almost no one so busy that they can’t find a way to fit in a few hours a month.
School Based Mentoring
It may sound obvious, but sometimes the best place to help a child realize their potential is at school. Kids enjoy having their Bigs meet with them there, whether it’s in the classroom or on the playground. And parents know what a positive impact it makes.
Some of the biggest supporters of our School-Based Mentoring program are actually teachers. They see students come back from their time with their Big filled with confidence, smiling big, ready to learn and eager to succeed.
Although it takes place at schools, our School-Based Mentoring program isn’t limited to the classroom. Of course, some Littles do talk with their Bigs about class, or do homework, or read together, but it’s perfectly fine to shoot hoops in the gym or play on the playground. At the end of the day, it’s really all about starting a friendship, providing guidance and inspiring them to reach their potential.
