After a major change earlier this year, Kansas Big Brothers Big Sisters Serving Lyon County is still focused on their mission of assisting area youth currently facing adversity.
Back in June, then Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Flint Hills was dissolved and subsequently acquired by Kansas Big Brothers Big Sisters. The acquisition carried several positives including providing staff with full-time benefits, something which had not been offered in the past. Along with that were some changes to the services offered by the organization including the number of counties served by they serve. Originally Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Flint Hills served Lyon, Morris, Chase and Coffey Counties.
According to spokesperson Josie Williams, that has changed in an effort to strengthen the program locally before branching out into other communities again.
Currently, the organization has matched over 40 children with mentors. However, there are still roughly 30 children in need of matches.
Williams explains mentors provide their littles with new experiences and a positive role model. This may often include performing everyday activities that may seem ordinary or mundane to some, but for certain children is an entirely new experience altogether.
Williams adds other activities that may be foreign to some children in the program includes eating dinner as a family or simply going grocery shopping.
Traditionally mentors are individuals but recently the program has been seeking families and couples to get involved. The age group for children in the program is between 5 to 18 years old, however, Williams says some matches can be extended between 19-25 as that is still considered a time of development and the sudden removal of a mentor can have a negative effect.
If you would like more information on the program or to volunteer contact Josie Williams by calling 342-5645 or by emailing Jwilliams@Kansasbigs.org.
