Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Michigan is looking for more volunteers to help expand its Lunch with Littles program.
In its typical mentorship model, Big Brothers Big Sisters mentors, or “Bigs”, meet with mentees, or “Littles,” for two hours twice a month, which might be a difficult time commitment for parents or professionals.
That’s why the non-profit started “Lunch with Littles,” where “bigs” meet with “littles” twice a month for about 40 minutes during the child’s school lunch period.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Michigan CEO Amy Kuchta said the program makes volunteering more manageable for busy adults.
“I talk to a number of professionals who say they would like to get involved, but they don’t have evenings and weekends,” said Kuchta. "And so this is a way to say, 'hey, if you want to mentor, this is a perfect way to do it, and that way you’re not taking away from family or other responsibilities outside of work hours.'"
Katherine Kemp, executive director of the Kalamazoo chapter of Girls on the Run, joined Lunch with Littles as a mentor last year. She said it allowed her to connect with and support a child in the community even with her demanding schedule.
“I just thought, you know what, here’s that one thing that I can do,” she said. “And it actually healed my own inner child as well, so it was just great. And the match was so perfect.”
Kuchta said she’s hoping Lunch with Littles might help the organization recruit more adult male mentors, since there are often more boys waiting for matches than girls.
“Finding men who are comfortable or have the time to give back can be challenging, which is why Lunch with Littles is such a compelling program model, I think,” she said. “It’s structured during the school day, the men are in a school setting, and I think they feel a little more comfortable being in groups. It’s a very specific time spent together.”
Kuchta said a recent study from Harvard University and the U.S. Department of Treasury found that mentees, or “littles” reported lower absenteeism and suspensions. They were also 20 percent more likely to attend college than their peers and earned 15 percent more between the ages of 20 and 25.
“People would say to me, ‘How does it impact later in life?’ and I’m like, ‘Well, it has to,’ and now I can say, ‘Here’s exactly what it does’,” said Kuchta.
“We’re making our next generation more financially secure, and as parents, and family, and friends, that’s what we want for all our youth.”
More information can be found on the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Michigan web site.
