By Marlene Williams Board Member
Board Member, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Broward County
This Black History Month, I am so grateful to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Broward for its positive impact on the Black children in our community. Since the inception of the organization, where I proudly have served as a board member for five years, we have created thousands of professionally supported, one-to-one mentoring relationships.
The impact is BIG. All the Little Brothers and Sisters in our program have higher aspirations, achieve greater confidence, create better relationships, demonstrate improved educational success and, as a result, become much less likely to engage in risky behaviors. The lasting relationships we create often change the trajectory of our children’s lives, empowering them to achieve their full potential and shape their future and community more positively.
Today at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Broward, 65 percent of the Littles we serve identify themselves as Black or Biracial, up 10 percent from last year. By comparison, only 24 percent of our volunteer mentors identify as Black or Biracial, down 3 percent. Currently, 60 percent of our wait list – or 247 children – are Black or Biracial.
The data collected over Big Brother Big Sisters of America’s 110+ year history of serving the community shows that parents and guardians typically prefer mentors who share the same background and gender as their children. Because of this, our Black Littles often have to wait longer for a mentor.
The bottom line is that we need more mentors, especially Black mentors.
It’s time to solve this problem. We are inviting and encouraging all the Black adults in our community to step up and meet this increased need for our kids by becoming Big Brothers or Big Sisters. We need you. Our children need you.
Contrary to what you might have heard, the commitment to be a Big Brother or Big Sister is less than people think – it only takes a few hours each month. The TIME you spend with your Little is the impact that changes their life – this time can range from playing sports to helping with homework to simply talking about life. Our professional staff ensures that Bigs and Littles are carefully matched with a focus on having common interests and a shared connection. As a result, Big Brother or Big Sister matches often result in positive relationships that last for a lifetime.
The payoff for your small investment of time is gigantic. The social return on your time investment in our community is 18-to-1 through improved economic, health, and social outcomes for boys and girls with mentors. And, as our mentored children grow up, they are in a better position to participate in shaping our community’s social and economic future.
Will you step up to mentor our youth today, so they can stand alongside us as leaders tomorrow?
