Chloe’s journey begins with a simple request.
“Can you teach me how to do a cartwheel?”
With unwavering encouragement, her mentor replies, “Stand tall. Take a deep breath and believe in yourself.”
Week after week, for an hour and a half at her elementary school, Chloe met with her Big, diligently working on stretching her arms, gliding through the air and kicking her leg over. Chloe now performs a cartwheel with ease.
Jayden and Todd share a similar bond within the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Butler County (BBBS) program. Todd was a Little himself and wanted to give back to the program that had been good to him. Matched with Jayden, they embark on exciting adventures to the zoo, movies, sporting events and play board games. Jayden was struggling academically and socially before Todd, but his grades have improved as well as his connections with others.
Heartwarming success stories like Chloe's and Jayden's are just a glimpse into the transformative power of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Butler County.
Located in Hamilton, BBBS of Butler County is part of a national network that is proudly recognized as “the oldest, largest and most effective youth mentoring organization in the United States,” according to their website.
Research shows that participants are more likely to excel academically, foster better relationships with their families and avoid illegal drug or alcohol usage.
Director of Partnership Development and Volunteer Recruitment Jessica Huentelman explains, “Our mission is to create and support one-to-one mentoring relationships. We really want our youth to reach their full potential.”
Huentelman’s desire for helping others began in high school when she became a Big Sister. “It kind of kickstarted my passion for helping others,” she says.
BBBS is currently facing a critical need for volunteers. The organization saw a decrease in volunteers during the COVID-19 pandemic but an increase in children needing mentoring. Over one hundred children are currently on a waitlist to be matched with a mentor.
“It normally takes six months to a year for Little Sisters to be matched,” shares Huentelman. “Little Brothers are different because we don't have as many male volunteers coming through our system, so they typically wait a year to be matched.”
To keep the waitlisted Littles engaged, BBBS sponsors outings to Kings Island or Cincinnati Reds games throughout the year. These events provide an opportunity to build rapport between potential Bigs and Littles.
Volunteers must be eighteen years of age or older and possess a valid driver’s license and means of transportation. The application process involves listing three references, followed by a phone call orientation, driving history and background check. Once approved, volunteers choose between participating in the community-based or site-based program.
“Our community-based program matches youth with an adult in the community. They pick the child up from home and take them to do outings two-four times a month,” Huentelman says. “In the site-based program, we match elementary school students with mentors. The mentors are typically high school or college students, but we also have adults from the community. Site-based mentors meet once a week during the school year.”
BBBS recommends cost-free activities for volunteers and assigns a support specialist to be a point of contact for any needs that arise.
Huentelman adds, “We provide monthly check-ins for the first year and offer training. I like to think of it as just being a friend to the child. You're there to listen and support them.”
BBBS also offers a program called Big Duos where volunteers can mentor with a partner, co-worker, friend or sibling already in the program.
Participation in BBBS is free of charge. For adults that are unable to commit to mentorship but still want to support the program, there are volunteer opportunities and an option to donate or sponsor a match for $1,000. From cartwheels to life skills, join Big Brothers Big Sisters of Butler County on their mission to make a difference in the lives of children.
BBBSButler.org, 513.867.1227
*Names have been changed to protect the privacy of the mentors and mentees.