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Friday, March 29, 2024

Men, you can change a young boy’s life

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“100 men in 50 Days.” That’s the name of a recruitment campaign that could change a child’s life.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana (BBBSCI) launched the campaign in early April, with hopes of matching 100 male mentors with young boys or male teens by May 28.

Let’s face it. With a rash of crimes in Indianapolis in recent years, some committed by African-American teenagers or young men, there is something broken in our families and our community. It impacts us all.

On a WTHR Cares interview segment, Darcey Palmer-Shultz, the CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana, told me how important it is to reach out to our children. “We’ve seen the mayor, the police department and other groups calling on the community to take action to help our kids, give them hope, surround them with people who care about them and get them on the right path.” Palmer-Shultz explained why the 50-day recruitment campaign focuses on Big Brothers instead of Big Sisters. “We have about 600 kids waiting for mentors and 70 percent of those are boys,” she said.

“We match every child with his or her mentor in a one-to-one relationship. We have had a harder time getting men in the doors as volunteers.

“But when they do walk through those doors, the power of a caring mentor, in a child’s life, is priceless,” she said.

A national study, conducted by Public/Private Ventures in Philadelphia, shows that children, with a Big Brother or Big Sister, were 46 percent less likely to begin using illegal drugs; 27 percent less likely to begin using alcohol; 52 percent less likely to skip school; 37 percent less likely to skip a class; and 33 percent less likely to hit someone.

Research also shows that children, with a Big Brother or a Big Sister, do better in school, have more confidence in their abilities, and some even report that their “Bigs” changed their perspective on what is possible in life.

Now that is impact – to literally change the direction of a child’s life and open up doors to new possibilities.

Eric Lis, a former “Big Couple,” who paired up with his wife as a role model for a young boy, adds, “We like to say when you are a ‘Big,’ you’ll get more out of that relationship than a ‘Little’ will. It’s almost a cliché, but it’s true because it changes your perspective on life. What was important to you in the past may not be so important, as you look at the things these kids face day-to-day.”

Lis mentored his “Little,” named Nathan, for five years and says it was an amazing experience. He urges other men to follow in his footsteps. “It will change your lives forever.”

And Palmer-Shultz says it takes just a little time to leave a big imprint. “The thing that a lot of people don’t realize is that we really just ask you to get together with a child twice a month for at a least year. Some relationships last longer, but we see really big impact from a year on.”

To learn more, call BBBSCI at (317) 472-3730 or go to bebigforkids.org.

You can email comments to Angela Cain at acain@wthr.com.

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