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About Our Organization
The students of Rider University can help hundreds of underserved children in Mercer County, ages 6 – 15, by volunteering as mentors (affectionately called Bigs). As a Big the rewards are enormous. By mentoring a Little you have the ability to change a life – simply by being a friend and companion, someone dependable and willing to listen. The commitment is simple: 1 hour a week during the academic school year.
Through a partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Mercer County, Rider students will be matched – one to-one – with children in the local schools who need and want a mentor. Our mission is to make a positive difference in the lives of children by promoting their self-esteem, expanding their awareness of life’s opportunities, and providing them with guidance and support through long-term, one-to-one mentoring with caring adults.
Donations to the Rider Rumba will fund our mentoring program where the cost per match is approximately $1,000. This cost includes recruiting, interviewing, background and reference checks, training, active case management by trained professionals, and special events for the Bigs and Littles.
Most of the Littles are recommended by the schools, with parent or guardian approval. They come in all shapes and sizes and many join for different reasons, including:
·Seriously ill parent or sibling at home
·Recent loss of a parent or sibling
·Living in foster care
·Being raised by elderly grandparents
·Living in single-parent family (usually moms working long hours)
·Living with severe family hardships, financial and physical
The family situations may all be different but common denominator is that these Littles need and want a Big Brother or Big Sister.
Why should you get involved? BBBS third party research shows that Littles who are mentored are much less likely to:
·Use illegal drugs and alcohol
·Engage in violence
·Skip school
·Become teen parents
In addition, they are more likely to:
·Have higher self-esteem
·See improved academic performance
·Get along better with peers and family members
Thank you for being part of our family of supporters and volunteers. We are committed to providing a mentor to every one of those children in need in our community. We’re counting on your help to get us there!
BBBS of Mercer County
For over 100 years, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Mercer County has worked to improve the general health, lives and futures of thousands of underserved children. Our mission is to make a positive difference in the lives of children by promoting their self-esteem, expanding their awareness of life’s opportunities, and providing them with guidance and support through long-term, one-to-one mentoring with caring adults.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Mercer County has been working very hard helping children lead happy, healthy and productive lives. We’ve been serving hundreds of children in Mercer County and surrounding communities since 1973.
Mentoring is a simple and powerful concept – one adult volunteer matched to one child. Since the program relies upon volunteers, it is relatively inexpensive, yet a powerful influence in the lives of these children. Our mentoring model works primarily as a prevention program. The program model draws on an individuals best intent – to help and, perhaps more important, to inspire a child. Most of the youth served come from troubled homes, which puts them at a higher than average risk for being neglected or abused.
To learn more about Big Brothers Big Sisters of Mercer County and our programs, please visit our website at www.bbbsmercer.org.
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