5/6/2009 10:21:00 AM Big, Little Buddies forging friendships
BMHS sophomore Dakota King helps his Little Brother Chris with homework in the Big Brothers Big Sisters afterschool program that matches high school students with Lake Valley Elementary School students.
Trib Photo/Sue Tone
Now in its fifth year, Bradshaw Mountain High School and Tri-City Prep students continue to create positive connections with their Little Brothers and Sisters at several Humboldt Unified School District elementary schools.
"This year, the group at this school doubled from 10 matches to 21," said Tiffany Phillips, Yavapai Big Brothers Big Sisters match advisor, about the program.
That number could possibly triple next year thanks to a $2,000 donation from Lockheed Martin, said David Seigler, director of Community Relations and Marketing for YBBBS.
Lockheed Martin Customer Relations Manager William Lamb and Prescott HUB Operations Manager JJ Gronwold delivered the check Monday afternoon to YBBBS President and CEO Kathleen Murphy and Vice President Seigler.
Gronwald praised YBBBS and Lake Valley Elementary for their innovative mentoring partnership.
"Programs such as this help improve communities where we work and live," he said. "It's our pleasure to be able to support this worthy effort."
The LVES mentoring program matches high school students with children dealing with poverty, single-parent families, and other issues at home.
According to YBBBS nearly 76.7 percent of the nearly 600 LVES students are economically disadvantaged. At least 30 percent live in single-parent homes, and most of the rest have two working parents.
"School-family partnership is critical to students' success," said LVES Principal Danny Brown.
The high school Bigs volunteer one afternoon a week in the after-school program that helps children overcome challenges and succeed in school.
"One-to-one, long-term mentoring is the single most effective way to help these children," Seigler said. "When an at-risk youth has a mentor for 18 months, we know that he or she moves from being twice as likely to half as likely as an average child to use drugs, drop out of school and get in trouble with the law.
"The impact is significant and long-lasting, and it can make the difference between graduating from high school or not," he said.
BMHS freshman Aileen Mondaca said she enjoys working with younger children, and she knows the experience will look good on her college application.
Fun activities, such as card and board games, usually begin once the elementary students complete their homework.
Jacob shared his new knock-knock and skeleton jokes with his Big Sister Shakira Johnson as they colored pictures. He submitted a guess about the number of M&Ms in a glass jar, and came up a hundred or so short. Then the two buddies went outside to join others on the playground, a typical Monday afternoon for two friends.
Besides support from Lockheed Martin, the Lake Valley Elementary-YBBBS partnership receives financial support from The Million Dollar Round Table, JP Morgan Chase, D Miller Charitable Endowment in Memory of Caryle Miller, and the Yavapai Community Foundation.
For more information about the program at LVES and other schools in the area, or to volunteer, call YBBBS at 928-778-5135.
