August 22, 2022
ST. CLOUD, Minn. – The start of the new school year is just around the corner, and this week Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Minnesota launched its Back to School recruitment campaign. The goal of the campaign is to secure 100 new Bigs by Oct. 31.
Back to school is an exciting time in Central Minnesota, but it can also be stressful for kids and young adults as they learn new routines, take challenging classes and try to make new friends. Coupled with the added stresses of the COVID19 pandemic, which has created new and added challenges surrounding online learning and some students falling behind, more than ever 1-to-1 mentoring is critical to serve the youth in the area.
As part of the campaign, recruiting mentors for the school-based programs will be a priority. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Minnesota currently has school-based programs in Foley, Pierz, Sartell, St. Cloud, Sauk Rapids-Rice and a new program is starting this fall in Holdingford. Both adult and high school-aged mentors can be involved in school-based programs.
There is still a growing need for male mentors in Central Minnesota. Boys typically wait longer than girls to be matched as recruiting male mentors is a challenge for mentoring programs across the country. Nationally, 66 percent of youth on the waiting list for Big Brothers Big Sisters organizations are boys, but only 36 percent of volunteer mentors are men.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Minnesota currently has over 100 children waiting for a mentor. To learn more about the various mentorship options or to find out how you can make a difference in the life of a child, please call (320) 253-1616 or visit BigDefenders.org.