Big Brothers, Big Sisters facing big shortage of mentors

The Big Brothers Big Sisters of Sault Ste. Marie mentoring program provides boys and girls from six to 16 years old with an adult role model and friend to talk to and share positive experiences with as they grow up.

Apart from providing good advice to children - such as encouraging them to do well in school and make healthy lifestyle choices - mentors can take children on outings, introduce them to a wide range of recreational activities such as fishing, skiing and other sports or encourage them to develop artistic talents.   

However, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Sault Ste. Marie is in need of more mentors.

“Currently we have 29 young people waiting to be matched with a mentor. Some have been waiting over a year. The majority of those waiting are boys,” said April McBride, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Sault Ste. Marie program manager speaking to SooToday.

Children in need of mentors are those who have suffered from what the agency calls various “adverse childhood effects.” 

Those effects include:

• Social isolation
• Parental separation or divorce
• Being involved in or removed by Child Welfare Services
• Being involved in a situation where a household member has had a substance abuse problem, experienced mental illness or has been incarcerated or involved with police
• Having experienced bullying
• Seeing or hearing violence at home, in the neighborhood or at school
• Experiencing the death of someone close to them
• Arriving in Canada with refugee status
• Being exposed to household financial stress, including parental unemployment
• Coping or recovering from a mental health illness

“There is extensive and validated research that documents how a young person’s mental health and wellbeing, educational engagement and employment readiness is at risk when they experience prolonged exposure to any of these adversities. This research also underscores the powerful role that mentorship can play in building resilience and highlights the opportunity for impact,” McBride said.

“Relationships with caring, responsive adults such as Big Brothers Big Sisters mentors and early positive experiences with those mentors provides a buffer to negative environments and builds resiliency. Resilient children bounce back well after they face these issues. They are less likely to develop depression, anxiety or unhealthy coping mechanisms like aggression, eating issues and substance problems,” McBride said.

Through the Big Brothers Big Sisters mentoring program, children are matched with mentors for three or four visits per month.

Visits are one to three hours in length for a total of approximately 10 hours per month.

The agency provides resources and ideas of activities for matched children and mentors to enjoy.

Matched visits can include going for walks, playing sports, attending community events, visits to places such as the Bushplane Museum, going out for ice cream and playing board games. 

Support for mentors is provided by Big Brothers Big Sisters staff who are available for phone calls, emails, updates and check ins.

There are agency activities and events throughout the year such as barbecues and parties.

Visits with children in need of a mentor is time well spent, the agency said.

McBride said that a study conducted by the Boston Consulting Group in 2013 shows that Big Brothers Big Sisters one-to-one mentoring has a deep impact on the lives of young people who need those mentors.

Compared to non-mentored peers, youth who receive mentoring are:

• 17 per cent more likely to be gainfully employed and earn 13 per cent more on average, leading to an earnings increase of approximately $315,000 over their lifetime
• 50 per cent more likely to volunteer and 13 per cent more likely to give to charity
• 60 per cent more likely to report feeling consistently happy and 45 per cent more likely to report feeling consistently confident
• 50 per cent more likely to have a strong social network

“Kids get to experience things they may not otherwise be able to do. For example, some children have never been fishing until their mentor takes them. Spending time with a mentor provides support, guidance, a listening caring ear, a safe place to share stories and work through situations in their lives. The benefits are extensive,” McBride said.

The program is also good for the mentors themselves.

“Mentors have expressed how much they enjoy being matched with a young person. They’re able to have fun, learn and grow. They find investing in a young person is a rewarding, fulfilling, meaningful way to spend their time and help our community. It provides them with new opportunities to meet people, develop new skills and continue building their knowledge, understanding and experience. Having a positive impact on a young person is very rewarding,” McBride said.

Adults interested in becoming a Big Brother or Big Sister go through a few steps for acceptance into the agency’s mentoring program.

They include completing an application, an interview in which staff get to know the prospective mentor and get an idea as to which child or youth might be a good match for them, undergoing a criminal reference check, providing three references and receiving training and orientation before being accepted by the agency and matched with a child.

While Big Brothers Big Sisters of Sault Ste. Marie waits for new mentors to come forward, children participate in the agency’s Big Bunch program, McBride said.

Big Bunch activities are held every two weeks during the school year, giving children the opportunity to develop their social skills and make friends while spending quality time with adult volunteers.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Sault Ste. Marie is located at 1496 Wellington St. E. Suite 202.

Information about Big Brothers Big Sisters of Sault Ste. Marie programs, contact information, how to become a mentor and testimonials from both clients and mentors can be found by visiting the agency’s website.