REDMOND, OR -- Graduation season is exciting for seniors and families, but it’s a bittersweet time for at least one local nonprofit. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Oregon Director Amanda Gow says she’s losing nearly two dozen volunteers from one mentoring program. "Our school-based program started about three years ago. We piloted the program in the Redmond School District and in our first year we had 15 kids in the program; and now we, three years later, have a 110 and we’re in Redmond School District, Madras and Bend-La Pine." According to Gow, 22 of those 110 mentors are graduating, this year, from Redmond Proficiency Academy, Ridgeview HS, Bend Senior High and Madras HS.
She says the kids get together at nearby elementary schools, "They meet once a week in the classroom with their high school ‘bigs’ and work on a variety of things; they might have lunch together, arts and crafts, homework. So, really getting high school kids out of their classroom and giving back to the community and learning about their own leadership skills."
Gow says the program was originally designed to help reach young kids who otherwise wouldn’t be served by Big Brothers Big Sisters, but the high school kids end up learning, too. She tells KBND News they realize, "'I do have something to give back and I can be a benefit for somebody; and this little brother or sister really does look up to me and I’m someone to be respected and admired.' For our seniors, I’ve watched, for the last couple of years, the youth write their college essays about their experience with Big Brothers Big Sisters."
In the fall, Big Brothers Big Sisters will work to recruit and train replacements for those graduates.
