How will I be matched with a child?
After
you submit an application, we will invite you in
for a personal interview. The enrollment and interview
process helps us get to know your interests and
preferences so that we can find a suitable child
for you. It will also help you learn about us and
the program expectations. We take into account personality,
likes, dislikes, age preferences, background and
location when matching you with a child. The final
decision, however, is yours.
Do
I have the opportunity to meet the child before
being matched?
In
short, no. We do not want the child to feel rejected,
as he or she frequently might have been in the past.
We do, however, provide you with in-depth information
about the child’s family, neighborhood, school
performance, and interests in hopes that you will
be able to make a good decision based on this knowledge.
How
often should I get together with the child?
There
is no required amount of visits, although we do
ask you visit with the child at least once per month.
During the weeks that you are not visiting each
other, we expect you to maintain contact with each
other, either through phone calls, emails or letters.
Spending about four hours a month with the child
is usually enough time to establish a good friendship.
It is the quality of the relationship you establish
with a youngster, not the number of hours that you
visit with each other, that counts the most.
What
kind of support can I expect from Big Brothers Big
Sisters once I get matched?
The
staff of Big Brothers Big Sisters provides ongoing
case management and is available at all times to
help the volunteer improve or strengthen the relationship
with his or her Little Brother or Little Sister.
Anytime you are unsure about what to do or how to
handle a situation, you will have a Match Support
Specialist available to help. You’ll receive
guidance on handling possible difficult situations
and feedback on how you are making a difference
in the child’s life. You will be expected
to keep in touch with the staff of Big Brothers
Big Sisters on a consistent basis to let us know
how the match is going and to tell us what progress
has been made in supporting the child’s needs.
If
despite our intervention the relationship is not
satisfactory, the match can be terminated. Based
on what we both learned, we might be able to re-match
you.
Will
I incur expenses as a Big Brother or Big Sister?
We
discourage you from spending a lot of money on your
outings. The goal of the relationship is friendship,
not buying the child things or taking him or her
to expensive places/events. You should focus your
time on getting to know each other and enjoying
each other’s company. Big Brothers Big Sisters
can offer you many suggestions of free or inexpensive
activities you can do with your Little Brother or
Little Sister.
What
do I do at visits?
We
ask that you do things that the two of you decide
together would be fun. This might be going to a
museum, playing ball in a park, trying out a new
recipe together, learning a magic trick, celebrating
each other’s half birthdays, putting together
a scrapbook, visiting a library, reading a comic
book together, playing a board game, or taking a
ride in the car with the radio on while talking
about music. You select activities that give each
of you a chance to learn more about one another.
Again, we will provide you with a list of suggested
activities. Most important: have FUN!
How is the parent or guardian of my Little Brother
or Little Sister involved?
The
child’s parent or guardian has a large responsibility,
the most important of which is to be home at the
time you pick up and drop off the child. The parent
is expected to be in touch with the staff of Big
Brothers Big Sisters to keep us up to date on the
progress of the match and on improvements in the
child’s life as a result of the new relationship.
Can
family members, either mine or my Little Brother’s
or Little Sister’s, join us at our outings?
In
the beginning, it is important for the child and
you to get to know each other. This can happen best
on a one-to-one basis. Keep in mind that if you’re
spending lots of time with others, the child may
begin to feel jealous or neglected. Remember that
the main focus is the friendship YOU have with the
child. Eventually, you may feel that it is valuable
for your Little Brother or Little Sister to get
to know the people who are important to you in your
life. As to the child’s family being involved,
the parent is involved by giving feedback to Big
Brothers Big Sisters; the child’s siblings
are only involved if the volunteer decides to invite
them to join the activity.
Does Big Brothers Big Sisters sponsor any activities
or have free tickets for community events?
Yes,
Big Brothers Big Sisters sponsors four or five free
parties per year for the matches and informs you
of free tickets to sporting and community events
(available on a first-come first-served basis).
Additionally, Big Brothers Big Sisters sponsors
events for volunteers and for community members
that provide the Big Brothers and the Big Sisters
opportunities to get to know each other and to share
experiences.
