YPN From Zimmer Biomet Hosts Picnic For BBBS
August 2, 2023 at 8:53 p.m.
With schools starting back up locally next week, Young Professionals Network hosted a picnic Wednesday at Central Park for Big Brothers Big Sisters.
Young Professionals Network (YPN) is an employee resource group at Zimmer Biomet.
“Today we have a picnic. We’re partnering with Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) here in Warsaw. We just wanted to have a fun event with the kids before they go back to school; also, to raise awareness for anybody who’s a member of YPN who might want to get involved as a Big or a Lunch Buddy as the school year starts up,” explained Melinda Coleman, YPN chair for outreach.
Many pairs of Bigs and Littles attended the picnic, but there also were kids there who don’t have a Big yet to help promote the partnership between Bigs and Littles that BBBS provides, she said.
Pizza from Pizza Hut was the main food for the picnic, but there also were a number of outdoor games for everyone to have fun with, including soccer balls, footballs and Hula Hoops. The picnic was from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
Coleman said YPN was a “way for younger professionals at Zimmer Biomet specifically to connect. We’re a larger company, a lot of people come from other places, especially after graduating from college.” YPN helps members connect through social events and through outreach to get more involved in the community.
Tammy Smith, BBBS Kosciusko County community development director, said those at the picnic hosted by YPN were BBBS matches and families of the Littles. YPN came up with the picnic as a way to get more involved with the community.
BBBS continues to look for volunteers to be Bigs.
“We actually are in a summer recruitment campaign right now over all of northeast Indiana. We want to recruit 500 Bigs in 90 days, so that also includes Kosciusko County. Right now, we are specifically looking for people who want to become Lunch Buddies, with school starting next week. We know that there’s a lot of kids waiting right now and there’s going to be more kids signing up that need a Lunch Buddy and a Community-Based Volunteer,” Smith said.
A Lunch Buddy meets with their Little once a week at the child’s elementary school one hour a week during the kid’s lunch hour and recess. The commitment is for the school year. Over the summer, BBBS hopes the Lunch Buddy keeps in contact with their Little through the Pen Pal system.
For the Community-Based Volunteer, they get matched up with a Little, but the volunteer takes the Little out once or twice a month to a community event or at home.
Currently, there are 119 matches in Kosciusko County. There are over 30 kids on the waiting list and another 35 were signed up last week during the Combined Community Services Tools for School school supply giveaway.
“We have relationships with just about all of the elementary schools” in Kosciusko County, Smith said.
The volunteer can choose the day that works best for them and what elementary school they would like to be a Lunch Buddy at.
“The teachers will tell you that they really see a real improvement in kids when they have an adult coming in and spending time with them,” Smith said.
BBBS does get referrals from teachers and administrative staff for Littles, but parents enroll their children after the referrals or can enroll their child on their own.
The application and vetting process for volunteers can take four to six weeks because there are several steps to it. The first step is the initial inquiry, followed by the application, a comprehensive interview, background checks and a short online training. At that point, BBBS will look to find a child that they think will be a good match to the volunteer. If it’s OK by all parties, the volunteer and child are matched up.
“Once they are matched up and going, we have case managers that stay with them - a lot more in the beginning - and throughout the entire time they’re together just to help with anything. Just checking in with the parent, child, school, volunteer, making sure everything’s going well and if anything arises,” Smith said.
The program really impacts the child’s life, she said, for their whole life. There’s a ripple effect because it affects how they do in school and their family.
“We have the data that backs up the fact that a child who has a mentor in their life does better in school, better grades, higher self-esteem and does better with their family,” Smith concluded.
To get involved, visit the Big Brothers Big Sisters of North East Indiana website at bbbsnei.org or contact Smith directly.
With schools starting back up locally next week, Young Professionals Network hosted a picnic Wednesday at Central Park for Big Brothers Big Sisters.
Young Professionals Network (YPN) is an employee resource group at Zimmer Biomet.
“Today we have a picnic. We’re partnering with Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) here in Warsaw. We just wanted to have a fun event with the kids before they go back to school; also, to raise awareness for anybody who’s a member of YPN who might want to get involved as a Big or a Lunch Buddy as the school year starts up,” explained Melinda Coleman, YPN chair for outreach.
Many pairs of Bigs and Littles attended the picnic, but there also were kids there who don’t have a Big yet to help promote the partnership between Bigs and Littles that BBBS provides, she said.
Pizza from Pizza Hut was the main food for the picnic, but there also were a number of outdoor games for everyone to have fun with, including soccer balls, footballs and Hula Hoops. The picnic was from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
Coleman said YPN was a “way for younger professionals at Zimmer Biomet specifically to connect. We’re a larger company, a lot of people come from other places, especially after graduating from college.” YPN helps members connect through social events and through outreach to get more involved in the community.
Tammy Smith, BBBS Kosciusko County community development director, said those at the picnic hosted by YPN were BBBS matches and families of the Littles. YPN came up with the picnic as a way to get more involved with the community.
BBBS continues to look for volunteers to be Bigs.
“We actually are in a summer recruitment campaign right now over all of northeast Indiana. We want to recruit 500 Bigs in 90 days, so that also includes Kosciusko County. Right now, we are specifically looking for people who want to become Lunch Buddies, with school starting next week. We know that there’s a lot of kids waiting right now and there’s going to be more kids signing up that need a Lunch Buddy and a Community-Based Volunteer,” Smith said.
A Lunch Buddy meets with their Little once a week at the child’s elementary school one hour a week during the kid’s lunch hour and recess. The commitment is for the school year. Over the summer, BBBS hopes the Lunch Buddy keeps in contact with their Little through the Pen Pal system.
For the Community-Based Volunteer, they get matched up with a Little, but the volunteer takes the Little out once or twice a month to a community event or at home.
Currently, there are 119 matches in Kosciusko County. There are over 30 kids on the waiting list and another 35 were signed up last week during the Combined Community Services Tools for School school supply giveaway.
“We have relationships with just about all of the elementary schools” in Kosciusko County, Smith said.
The volunteer can choose the day that works best for them and what elementary school they would like to be a Lunch Buddy at.
“The teachers will tell you that they really see a real improvement in kids when they have an adult coming in and spending time with them,” Smith said.
BBBS does get referrals from teachers and administrative staff for Littles, but parents enroll their children after the referrals or can enroll their child on their own.
The application and vetting process for volunteers can take four to six weeks because there are several steps to it. The first step is the initial inquiry, followed by the application, a comprehensive interview, background checks and a short online training. At that point, BBBS will look to find a child that they think will be a good match to the volunteer. If it’s OK by all parties, the volunteer and child are matched up.
“Once they are matched up and going, we have case managers that stay with them - a lot more in the beginning - and throughout the entire time they’re together just to help with anything. Just checking in with the parent, child, school, volunteer, making sure everything’s going well and if anything arises,” Smith said.
The program really impacts the child’s life, she said, for their whole life. There’s a ripple effect because it affects how they do in school and their family.
“We have the data that backs up the fact that a child who has a mentor in their life does better in school, better grades, higher self-esteem and does better with their family,” Smith concluded.
To get involved, visit the Big Brothers Big Sisters of North East Indiana website at bbbsnei.org or contact Smith directly.