This subdivision of the national youth mentoring program Big Brothers Big Sisters has recently expanded to include Talladega County. Administrators felt that teaming up with Sylacauga Alliance for Family Enhancement, which runs Sylacauga’s Promise, would allow both organizations to help each other in providing healthy role models for area children.
“We called SAFE because we knew it was a prominent part of the city. They could help us get started and house us,” said Valerie Shannon, Program Administrator for Big Brothers Big Sisters of N.E. AL.
Sylacauga’s Promise promotes healthy youth development for the area. As such, its administrators were quick to invite Big Brothers Big Sisters of N.E. AL to become part of that mission.
Margaret Morton, Executive Director of SAFE, said that its work in providing good role models for area youth is directly related to the Promise’s own goal of providing ongoing relationships with caring adults.
“Children who are mentored by good role models do better in school, they get along better with adults or teachers, less likely to get into drugs and alcohol. They develop more self-esteem,” Shannon said.
In order to get started in the area, Big Brothers Big Sisters of N.E. AL got a $15,000 grant through Children’s Trust Fund in August. These funds will be used to get established in the community and assist in activities and materials. The grant is good for one year.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of N.E. AL is also in its third year of the program Mentoring Children of Promise, which it will also bring to Talladega County. This provides mentors for children with incarcerated loved ones.
Shannon said mentors are necessary for these children because they’re seven times more likely to be incarcerated themselves without help.
She said the organization has applied for additional funding through the United Way.
Shannon noted that Big Brothers Big Sisters of N.E. AL is always looking for new volunteers to mentor children. These volunteers are screened then matched with corresponding children that live in the area. The organization’s goal is to obtain 100 mentors in 100 days.
Those interested in learning more about mentoring or enrolling their children in Big Brothers Big Sisters of N.E. AL may call its offices at SAFE at 256-245-4343 or Central Alabama Community College at 256-480-2071.
The five promises of Sylacauga’s Promise include caring adults, safe places, healthy starts for healthy futures, effective education and opportunities to serve.
Do you propose not going to church since so many ministers and church staff have been convicted of child molestation? These people are everywhere and it is the duty of a community to keep it's kids safe by being involved and making sure our kids know what to do if someone gets out of line with them. If we decide it is too much trouble to take time to be involved, we leave it to others to mentor our kids. Get up--get out and get involved.
Boy describes sexual assault by mentor (Big Brother-Big sister pedophile)
Las Vegas Review-Journal ^ | 4-29-05
a former volunteer for the Pinellas County Big Brothers Big Sisters program will remain in jail on charges he molested a 10-year-old girl and a 7-year-old boy (Florida)
http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=154793265&blogId=500243967
Pedophiles are everywhere, including Big Brothers and Boy Scouts. I am, myself, a Big Brother. And looking around the organization as a boylover, I am able to see others…
http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread7714/pg1
Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (BBBSA) Approves Homosexual Mentors
http://www.cwfa.org/articles/692/CFI/cfreport/index.htm
It’s a brave new world at your local Big Brothers-Big Sisters office. As of this month, the Big Brothers-Big Sisters of America (BBBSA) will require that all 500 of its local affiliates include active homosexuals as volunteers and mentors to children.