By MATT PIKE
St. Joseph Post
A national campaign launched by Big Brothers; Big Sisters aims to help show the importance a mentor can have in a child’s life.
Executive Director of the St. Joseph chapter Cheyenne Dorrell-Giles says the campaign focuses on the fact that one in three children in America don't have a positive leading influence
"And the misconception that it takes like a ton of time, a ton of money, a lot of extra skills, and to kind of say it doesn't take all that it just takes you giving a little bit of your time to make a big difference in the life of a child," Dorrell-Giles tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. "And so, they came up with that campaign, It Takes Little to be Big."
Dorrell-Giles says it being a national campaign is a benefit for local agencies which might not have the ability to produce songs and ads.
"We're just kind of taking what nationals is doing and trying to push it forward into our community as well," Dorrell-Giles points out.
Dorrell-Giles says it doesn't take as much time to volunteer as people might think.
"With Big Brothers Big Sisters, we ask for you to get together with your littles two to three times a month for a couple of hours, and we often say you don't have to make time for them you just share the time with them," Dorrell-Giles explains. "So, if it's something you're already doing you just include them in that, so lots of our bigs will take our littles shopping."
Dorrell-Giles says some bigs will take their littles on daily chores such as grocery shopping and cooking a meal with them.
Dorrell-Giles says the aim of the campaign is to show that it’s not a little deal, but rather that it takes a little bit of time to make a big difference in a child’s life.
Dorrell Giles says people might take for granted the benefits of a mentor, but sometimes being with a child can provide perspective
"Sometimes when we're with our littles they help us see that we do live a very privileged life and seeing life through their eyes can sometimes be humbling in that way," Dorrell-Giles says.
Dorrell-Giles says while it has been a great year for volunteering, there is still a waiting list for volunteers in St. Joseph
"But we also have over 20 littles still waiting on our waitlist for a big," Dorrell-Giles says.
To learn more about volunteering for Big Brothers, Big Sisters, you can click HERE.