Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Lowcountry, a Charleston-based mentorship program that pairs volunteers with kids in need, is looking for more volunteers to serve their community as National Mentoring Month comes to a close.
The nonprofit serving tri-county youth through professionally supported one-on-one mentoring relationships said it has hundreds of prospective “littles” on the organization’s waiting list.
“Each year, hundreds of families ask us to place another caring adult on their child’s team, someone who will help them recognize and chase down their potential,” the group’s president and CEO Merridith Crowe said in a press release. “We have the amazing honor of being expert match makers for mentoring, and we need more adults to say ‘Yes’ to having the backs of Lowcountry youth.”
Crowe said the group has been making a strong push for recruiting men and especially men of color. And as the pandemic continues to stick around, the need for these relationships has only grown. “We’re serving more youth than we ever have,” Crowe told the City Paper. “The demand for our services has never been greater.”
But, because the relationships are often community-based, Crowe said, letting partners be outside playing games or taking walks, they haven’t missed a beat during the pandemic.
“When I started out last summer, George, [my Little Brother], was in the rec league for basketball,” said Big Brother Jeff Mercer. “I would go to the practices, and I would go to the games. That became an outing for me, too.”
Mercer said one of the biggest hurdles to potential volunteers is a mental one — the fear of the size of the commitment. But, he said, it isn’t nearly as big as you might fear.
“It’s not as time challenging as you think it is,” he said. “Everybody’s schedule is packed, but you have room to make a difference. Every other Tuesday I go see George, and I leave right from work, so it just becomes part of my routine. That makes it easier for me.”
“We encourage our mentors to keep it simple,” Crowe added. “Do some things you might already do. When I talk to Little Brothers, they’ll say, ‘My favorite time is when we’re running errands.’ It’s not ever about Disneyland. These kids are hungry for one-on-one attention. It’s not fancy, it’s just simple.”
The minimum for volunteers is a 12-month commitment, and mentors are expected to see their mentees twice a month for four hours. Those interested in becoming a Big Brother or Big Sister can visit wedefendpotential.org.
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