Big Brothers, Sisters helping youth

Community based programs, like Big Brothers, Big Sisters help local youth by being the mentors and role models.

     Megan Loftsgaarden, junior biology major, is a mentor for her "Little" and has been with her "Little" for two years. Mentors are for "children who are recommended to the program because they either have social problems, aren't getting the attention they need at home, or a lot of times they just aren't focusing in school," Loftsgaarden said.

     One way students can start your volunteering is as a lunch buddy, which meets one time a week. During this lunch hour students can hang out—students eat lunch with them and their friends, students can go out and play during recess, students can stay in and play games or read.

     The other option for volunteers is community based, which means it is outside of the school setting. As a volunteer, students go to pick up their "Little" and do activities around the community that would interest your "Little."

     Loftsgaarden started as a lunch buddy, and now has graduated to community-based volunteering, though she has kept the same "Little" that she was matched with. Big Brothers, Big Sisters has organized activities that the volunteers and their "Littles" can go to like picnics.

     "A lot of times, we go to Myrick Park," Loftsgaarden said. "He really likes the playground. We also go to the Children's Museum which is his favorite. We get a discount and we go to a bowling alley where we also get a discount. It's nice because they actually try to support you with what you are doing."

     Volunteering for Big Brothers, Big Sisters is not hard, Loftsgaarden said. Loftsgaarden found out about Big Brothers, Big Sisters during Viterbo's Club Fair. There is a preliminary application, character references, a required screening, and a personal interview. There are currently 50-60 children in La Crosse that need to be placed with a Big Brother or Sister. Once students are accepted into the program, they are matched with their "Little" and the goal is to stay with this "Little" for one year, with a meeting time of once a week.

     "They want you to establish a relationship that is a constant in a child's life because a lot of times they need the stability," Loftsgaarden explained. "My ‘Little' was having trouble focusing in school and his teachers told me that it really helped him to start focusing, having one day a week where he knew that someone was going to come in and pay special attention to him. That crossed over…he was able to focus on one day at a time, one thing at a time."

     "It helps giving the kid something to do, something to think about, and giving them a role model that they wouldn't otherwise have. It is one of the rules of the program," Loftsgaarden said.

     Big Brothers, Big Sisters tries to match students with their "Little" based on personalities and gender. When students are matched, depending on what type of volunteering each student wants to do – site based or off site, students then meet their "Little's" family (if doing off-site). Site based does not require meeting the family.

     Men are really needed at Big Brothers, Big Sisters. While same-gender matching is preferred, it is not easy as there are not enough male volunteers. "A lot of kids don't have role models that are guys, and a lot of boys don't have a stable male role model," Loftsgaarden explained.

     Big Brothers, Big Sisters will also ask students if they would prefer an active or non-active "Little." Whether students like to read, camp, play sports, etc., Big Brothers, Big Sisters tries to make it a close match so each "Little" has something in common with their "Big", and a base to build upon.

     As a volunteer, students do have to meet with a case manager every month, just to touch base and see how they and their "Little" are getting along. If students ever have any problems, which Loftsgaarden said she has yet to run into, students have resources available to turn to whether it is their case manager or school counselors.