The Alabama Department of Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention gave Big Brother Big Sisters of Northeast Alabama $15,000 this month to initiate Talladega Bigs. This will allow the program to begin finding mentors for children in the county who need positive role models.
Through the program, adult or high school mentors are matched with participating children by interests and personality traits. These volunteers engage their matched children in recreational activities such as sports, games, movies and other fun activities and provide them with encouragement and positive attitudes.
“Positive role models are needed so much. Kids need as much help as they can get to make healthy choices,” said Teresa Johnson, executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters.
Johnson said evidence-based research has shown that mentored children are less likely to become involved with drugs, exhibit better behavior, perform better academically and are more likely to remain in school.
“It’s awesome to prevent high school dropout,” she said.
Two children have already signed up for mentors, and Johnson hopes to see at least 30 to 50 more do likewise.
She said the average age range of children in the program is between 6 and 12.
Mentors for the program are required to volunteer 4 hours each month, but Johnson said many enjoy spending time with the children so much, they volunteer extra hours.
Big Brother Big Sisters of Northeast Alabama has been in operation for 27 years. It has ventured into Talladega County in the past, but this will be its first established operation here. It has partnered with Sylacauga’s Promise as part of that.
In August, Big Brother Big Sisters received $100,000 from ADCANP for Mentoring Children of Promise. This is a program to provide mentors to children who have loved ones or other significant people in their lives behind bars.
Valerie Shannon, program administrator for Big Brothers Big Sisters said without proper guidance, children with incarcerated loved ones are at a higher risk of becoming incarcerated themselves. This guidance is what the program strives to achieve.
Johnson said another factor that puts these particular children at a disadvantage is that children with incarcerated parents too often have additional family members serving time. The negative influence of jailed relatives is increased by the absence of needed family members to serve as role models.
“They’re missing those elements to help them succeed,” she said.
The grant will cover all of Big Brother Big Sisters’ five coverage areas, including Talladega County.
The grant demands that 150 children be served through Mentoring Children of Promise.
Children can be referred to mentors by Big Brother Big Sisters by parents, teachers, counselors, the Alabama Department of Human Resources and even themselves.
Mentors go through rigorous screening processes by the Alabama Bureau of Investigation, Federal Bureau of Investigation, ADHR and Risk Mitigation Services.
Big Brother Big Sisters makes sure it maintains these standards through Program Outcome Evaluation, which surveys children in the program to learn how they respond to mentors individually and as a whole.
Johnson and Shannon said the organization’s expansion into Talladega County requires more volunteering mentors and participating children. For more information on Big Brothers Big Sisters, call (256) 240-7391.
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