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Guest column

Change a life: Take a child under your wing

By SUSAN ROLSTON
Published May 5, 2006

Do you remember that special person in your life, other than a family member, whom you looked up to during your formative years, the one who always was there to encourage you or show you the ropes, the one you can confidently say helped you become the person you are today?

Many of us can recall a person like that. But it's unfair that too many young people do not get enough of that kind of support.

In our service area (Pinellas, Hernando and Citrus counties), more than 38 percent of our children live at or below the poverty level, many being raised by a single parent or relative trying to make ends meet. At Big Brothers Big Sisters, our mission is to help these children reach their full potential through professionally supported, one-to-one mentor relationships, giving them a chance to spend quality time with someone who sincerely cares. Our mentoring programs help fill the gap, but we need more volunteers to bring a little magic into a child's life.

Big Brothers Big Sisters has been around for more than 100 years because our programs work. An independent study conducted by Public/Private Ventures confirms that our programs help children improve school performance and behavior, and keep them off drugs and alcohol and out of the juvenile justice system. The impact of our life-changing mission is demonstrated again and again in the stories of Big and Little matches made years - even decades - ago, which created friendships that thrive today.

Not surprising is that the mentor's life, not just the child's, is enriched as a result of the relationship. We have received positive feedback from those involved in our organization, from families who publicly recognize the "Big" (an adult volunteer) who made such a difference in the life of their child, to the "Littles" (the children matched with a Big) who later become Bigs themselves because of the impact their mentor had on them.

Mentoring a child is at the heart of American character, a deep-seated commitment to extend beyond ourselves to make this community healthier by investing in its children. Right now there are more than 272 children on our waiting list for a Big Brother, Big Sister or Big Couple to bring positive change, offer encouragement and be a friend.

Share what you know by becoming a mentor. Please call your local Big Brothers Big Sisters office today, or visit our Web site at www.bbbspc.org Join us as we continue our second century of service, enriching the lives of children through one-to-one mentoring relationships.

Susan Rolston, a former Pinellas school district administrator, is chief executive officer of Big Brothers Big Sisters in Pinellas, Hernando and Citrus counties. Guest columnists write their own views on subjects they choose, which do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.

[Last modified May 5, 2006, 02:30:26]