When a person becomes a Big Brother or a Big Sister, more than one life is touched.
“Mentoring changes lives — the lives of the children and youth, the family, and the mentor.”
That’s the impact the mentoring programs of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kawartha Lakes-Haliburton (BBBS-KLH) have in the community, said executive director Janice Balfour.
However, BBBS-KLH has been forced to temporarily pause new applications to the programs due to what the organization calls a “critical shortage” of volunteers and funding.
“We depend on our community for support so that we can support children and youth facing adversity in our communities,” Balfour told kawarthaNOW.
With 45 youth waiting for mentors, the executive director is hopeful with the community’s support, it can help shift kids from the waiting list to making meaningful connections with their new mentors.
“The children and youth that we work with have faced several adversities — (lack of) secure housing, risk factors for mental health, living in poverty, school issues are just a few of them. These circumstances have nothing to do with the value of who they are or who they can become, but because of these situations they risk not having the opportunity to live up to their full potential.”
That’s where Big Brothers Big Sisters can help, Balfour said.
“Mentoring is an intervention that re-maps brain architecture, a process that sets the child up for a lifetime of resilience, positive social interaction, and academic and career success.”
For example, the organization had a young man on its waiting list for two years. The youth was nearing age 16 and aging out of the agency’s programs. He lives in poverty and he struggles with his mental health and school attendance.
“He has been let down by several adults in his life and often takes on the role of caregiver for his younger siblings,” Balfour explained. “We were able to create a strong reliable match with a local volunteer that has helped him learn how trust again, taught him basic life skills, and provides him the opportunity to be a teenager rather than a caregiver.”
For example, his mentor supported him during the loss of a close family member by going out for a drive and listening to music.
“This simple activity gave him the support he needed,” she said of the grieving teen. “This youth is now on track to complete high school and is exploring post-secondary opportunities. He could be the first person in his family to attend post-secondary education.”
On Tuesday (October 1), BBBS-KLH announced it was putting a temporary pause on accepting new children and youth applications for its mentoring programs due to the shortage of volunteers and funding.
“This decision, effective immediately, is a response to the organization’s current capacity challenges that impact its ability to match new mentees with mentors,” a media release noted.
The recent surge in demand for its programs, coupled with a decrease in available resources, has necessitated this pause “to ensure the quality and sustainability of its existing programs.”
“We are incredibly grateful for the community’s ongoing support and deeply committed to continuing our mission,” Balfour noted in the release.
“This decision was not made lightly, but it is crucial to ensure that we can provide the best possible support to the young people already in our programs. By temporarily pausing new intakes, we can focus on strengthening our existing initiatives and work diligently to secure additional funding and volunteers.”
BBBS-KLH is actively seeking new volunteers to join its network of mentors. Volunteers play a pivotal role in the success of BBBS-KLH’s programs, and the need for dedicated individuals is “greater than ever,” the organization noted.
In addition, BBBS-KLH said it is also focusing on fundraising to boost its financial resources and sustain its operations. To that end, the “Bowl for Kids Sake” event takes place on Monday, October 26 at Strike Point Bowling Centre in Lindsay.
Community members who are interested in volunteering or supporting the organization financially can visit the BBBS-KLH website at kawarthalakes.bigbrothersbigsisters.ca or contact the office directly at 705-324-6800 for more information on how to get involved.
BBBS-KLH is described as a non-profit organization dedicated to creating and supporting one-to-one relationships to ignite the biggest possible futures for youth in our community. Through mentoring programs, BBBS-KLH provides guidance, encouragement, and positive role models geared towards helping children reach their full potential.
“Our hope from sharing this information is that we will be able to support all of the children, and youth that are on our wait list,” Balfour said.
