There are 33 children in Kosciusko County who are in need of mentors to serve as role models and positive influences in their lives. Big Brothers Big Sisters held a Big 300 Dash Recruitment Campaign Monday at Holiday Inn Express, Warsaw. Lindsey Best, Big Brothers Big Sisters community development coordinator, said if current Big Brothers and Big Sisters can refer their friends to be a Big Brother or Big Sister there will be enough bigs to mentor more than 300 children. Big Brothers Big Sisters board members and staff are wearing shoes that are painted bright colors and say “300” on them to spread the word that there is a need for Big Brothers and Big Big Sisters. “The kids in our communities are waiting and are in need of mentors,” Best said. Best said there are 33 children on the waiting list in Kosciusko County in need of a Big Brother and Big Sister, and 11 of those are boys who are in need of male mentors. There are eight lunch buddy matches at Madison Elementary School, and four students are on a waiting list to receive a lunch buddy, according to Jacob Hoag, Madison Elementary principal. In order to become a big there is an interview process and background check and a match specialist matches the big with the little based on interests. Big Brothers Big Sisters is a non-profit organization that serves children in Adams, Allen, DeKalb, Huntington, Kosciusko, LaGrange, Noble, Steuben, Wells and Whitley counties in Indiana and Branch, Hillsdale, and St. Joseph counties in Michigan. Sheri Milton, Big Brothers Big Sisters ambassador committee member, shared her experiences as a Big Sister. She said she has gone bowling with her little sister and taken her to family functions. “These kids are our future in the community and our future of our country and it never hurts to have that extra good influence,” Milton said. Peggy Michel, Big Sister and Big Brothers Big Sisters ambassador committee member, said she has enjoyed being a big sister for the past two years. Michel said her little sister likes to bake so they have enjoyed trying new restaurants together. Dr. Thomas Edington, Wawasee Schools superintendent, who is a lunch buddy, spoke about his experience with the program. He said being a lunch buddy provides an outlet for children to talk to their mentors. He said his lunch buddy has taught him things about technology he did not know. For more information about Big Brothers Big Sisters or to volunteer to become a big call 888-456-1600 or visit www.bbbseni.org
