New Model for Big Brothers Big Sisters, But Goal Remains the Same
On Jan. 1, there was a major change to the well-known youth mentoring organization Big Brothers Big Sisters but the outfit’s mission hasn’t changed at all.
For the first time in 65 years, the local chapter of Big Brothers Big Sisters became an independent, nonprofit organization at the start of the month after being sponsored by Family Services of Westchester (FSW) since its formation.
Now formally called Big Brothers Big Sisters of Westchester County, Inc., it will continue to help boys and girls from single-parent or single-caregiver homes throughout Westchester and Putnam between the ages of seven and 17 who lack a positive male or female role model in their lives.
“It’s been in the works for a long time and we’re actually really excited about it because where we had a lot of guidance before, (but) we were a board within a board,” said Valerie Brown, executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Westchester County, which recently moved its offices to Port Chester.
The transition, which took the local chapter about eight to 10 months to complete, was strongly encouraged by the national organization’s CEO for each one of the roughly 240 chapters across the United States in order to help forge its own identity, Brown said.
Only about 20 chapters throughout the country remain under the umbrella of a sponsorship organization, a model that worked well a generation or more ago, but with the evolution of online searches and social media and the need for unique branding, became increasingly outdated.
Brown foresees two significant advantages that allows Big Brothers Big Sisters to get its name and mission out to the public, hopefully attracting more volunteers. Applying for grant money will also hopefully be more effective.
“One is that we’ll be able to recruit big brothers and big sisters easier because we will be more visible as a standalone, and the other is we won’t have the foundation competition within FSW,” Brown said.
Despite striking out on its own, the relationship between Big Brothers Big Sisters of Westchester County and FSW, a social services agency, remains strong, Brown maintained. Both organizations will continue to refer families to one another, she said.
The need for Big Brothers Big Sisters to find a sufficient supply of mentors is crucial to fulfilling its goal.
“Our children are in need of positive role models in their lives,” Brown said. “Most are from single-caregiver families, whether they be from foster homes or homes where there is a biological parent, or homes where they’re are being raised by a grandparent or (another) relative. So they need someone just for them and they also need someone to expand their horizons from their community.”
Adult volunteers, referred to by the organization as Bigs, are asked to spend four to six hours a month over two visits for no- or low-cost outings. That could be a trip to a playground or park on a nice day, going to a pizzeria, a museum, or a ball game, introducing them to things in life that most people take for granted, Brown said.
Like in almost every other walk of life, the pandemic has brought its share of challenges. Many of the in-person mentoring had been curtailed. However, there have been virtual meetings where the youngster and mentor “visit.” For example, the San Diego Zoo had a virtual tour developed during the pandemic.
Boys, in particular, are perhaps more in need of positive role models, according to Brown. Most of the children come from homes where a woman is the head of the household, and there is an overwhelming number of women who want to be volunteers but there are far fewer calls to mentor girls.
“Most of our children are male and they’re being raised in single-caregiver, female-led households and so they need guys and it’s very difficult to find male volunteers,” Brown said. “We spend a lot of time on that.”
There are currently about 140 one-to-one mentorship connections, with a waiting list of about 60 boys. Many of the volunteers are empty-nesters.
Westchester-based organizations and corporations have also been recommending volunteers to the Big Brothers Big Sisters.
Despite the hurdles, Brown said the organization is doing fine.
“’Bigs’ that we have say, ‘Oh my gosh, I get so much more out of this than the kid does’ and they’re referring us to other people,” she said.
For more information about Big Brothers Big Sisters of Westchester, Inc. or to inquire about volunteering or making donations, call 914-937-3779 or visit www.bigswestchester.org.
Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/
