Big Brothers Big Sisters Manchester - Big Brothers Big Sisters Match

Big Brothers Big Sisters has a compassionate and dedicated group of individuals on our side that are willing to do whatever it takes to help change children's lives for the better.

According to the research, these one-to-one matches are such a powerful force for influencing children's behavior because of Big Brothers Big Sisters' signature approach to mentoring.

A Big Brothers Big Sisters' match is carefully administered and supported by rigorous standards and trained personnel. Professional agency staff strive for matches that are not only safe and well suited to each child's needs, but also harmonious and built to last. That is why so much care is taken in screening and orienting volunteers, and then in matching them with children.

However, Big Brothers Big Sisters professionals are much more than just "matchmakers." They provide ongoing support and supervision to the Big, the Little, and the Little's family. They offer training and advice to help ensure that the match is satisfying and fulfilling for everyone involved.

Additionally, every Big Brothers Big Sisters agency subscribes to a uniform set of standards and procedures. They also receive ongoing training and consultation from the Big Brothers Big Sisters national office.

It is this web of support that helps maximize the likelihood that a Big Brothers Big Sisters relationship will "take root" and flourish. The research found, for example, that Big Brothers Big Sisters' matches consistently spend more time together, and continue as a match for longer periods, than do their peers in other mentoring programs Public/Private Ventures has studied.

"In mentoring programs without this infrastructure, we have found that relationships evaporate too soon for effects to be possible," said Walker.

The Impact

The research found that Big Brothers Big Sisters offers a positive, broad-based program "that focuses less on specific problems after they occur, and more on meeting youths' most basic developmental needs."

The matches that were observed in the study shared everyday activities: eating out, playing sports or attending sports events, going to movies, sightseeing, doing chores, and just hanging out together.

What mattered to the children was not the activities, but the fact that they had a caring adult in their lives. Because they had someone to confide in and to look up to, they were, in turn, doing better in school and at home. The Littles were also avoiding violence and substance abuse at a pivotal time in their lives when even small changes in behavior, or choices made, can change the course of their future.

"The quality of the relationships Big Brothers Big Sisters has fostered for 100 years is the real strength behind our success," said Judy Vredenburgh, former CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. "Our volunteers are one of our most important assets. They make a tremendous commitment to their Littles, and now, we can point to this impact study and say, See, you are making a huge difference in the life of a child.'

"When Little Brothers and Little Sisters feel good about themselves, they positively impact their friends and families, their schools, and their communities. And as this important study has shown, these young people believe in themselves because a Big Brother or Big Sister believed in them." Making a Difference: An Impact Study of Big Brothers Big Sisters (1995) was the culmination of a four-part series on Big Brothers Big Sisters. The first three reports were A Study of Program Practices (1993); A Study of Volunteer Recruitment and Screening (1994); and Building Relationships with Youth in Program Settings (1995).

Public/Private Ventures, a national research organization with more than 20 years of experience in studying child development and social service issues, conducted the independent research.

The study was funded by a $2 million grant from the Lilly Endowment, the Commonwealth Fund, the Pew Charitable Trusts, and an anonymous donor.

September 2011 Newsletter
August 2011 Newsletter

MENtors Needed!

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Manchester needs male mentors for Community Based and Site Based matches. Only 1 out of 10 new volunteers at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Manchester are men, which means that plenty of young boys are match ready and waiting for some good men to step forward. Being a “Big Brother” requires no special skills – just a desire to be a friend to a child.

Community-Based Mentoring - In the Community Based program Bigs and Littles typically meet 2-3 times a month, for a minimum of one calendar year. We recommend that you keep a consistent schedule and that you see each other on a regular basis. Share an activity that gives you something in common to talk about. You want to select activities that give each of you a chance to learn more about one another. Buy a comic book to read to each other, play a board game, or take a ride in the car with the radio on and discuss the music! For children, playing can be learning. Most important - have FUN!

Site Based Mentoring - Our Site Based program allows Bigs and Littles meet once a week in schools, childcare centers and community after school sites, to talk and have fun. Bigs and Littles typically meet 45 minutes to one hour a week, throughout the school year, to read together, play sports or computer games, or simply talk about life and personal issues – just as friends do!

Please tell a friend, brother, co-worker to give us a call at 669-5365, x201.

Match Story

There aren't too many people that don't already know what our match is like. I talk about it all the time. We met 4, almost 5 years ago. I was very pleased to meet a beautiful, I mean really beautiful, young Mexican girl. She was very shy and not the first one to speak out in her class. Within that first year, she became an excellent student. She began to "fix" her hair, dress with style, and socialize. We since have learned how to make bead jewelry, hook rugs, crochet, color velvet pictures, I lose many games, and we always find some sort of craft for each holiday. I feel that I have only skimmed what we really do.

My little has made me very proud. She is a high honor student for 3 years running. Just this past year, has been chosen to be a mentor for incoming students to Junior High. She is a fabulous example! I love her so much!

A couple of years ago, we decided to begin a great way to reward her-we collect really neat bracelets that we add a special charm for each of her accomplishments. She now wears 2 bracelets!

Anyway, if more people could see how little effort it takes to make a HUGE difference in someone's life, there would not be a waiting list of children to be matched. Spread the word and make a kid smile. It's easy.

Very proudly,
Ruth Witherspoon
School-based mentor program
& Community-based program