Big Brothers Big Sisters is designating the month of September as End the Wait month, in an effort to raise awareness for the urgent need for mentors and take kids off the waitlist.
There are 90 children in the Chattanooga area who are waiting to be matched with a mentor. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Chattanooga have designated September as "End the Wait Month" in an effort to raise awareness for the urgent need for mentors in our community.
We've set a big goal—to connect with 100 new Bigs in the month of September. Will you be one of them?
When you become a Big, you have the opportunity to help shape a child’s future for the better by empowering them to achieve. And the best part is, it’s actually a lot of fun. You and your Little can share the kinds of activities you already like to do. Play sports together, go on a hike, or eat a pizza with extra anchovies. Whatever it is you enjoy, odds are you’ll enjoy them even more with your Little—and you’ll be making a life-changing impact. It only takes about 4-6 hours per month to make a difference in a child's life.
Signing up for one of our weekly Info Sessions below is the first step in the process of becoming a Big. These sessions are open to anyone who wants to attend—but if you decide to move forward and become a mentor, your Info Session serves as your volunteer orientation! We host them every week with both virtual and in-person options, so scroll down and pick whichever day works best for you.
Be Caffeinated Giveback Day
Thursday, Sept. 12th
BeCaffeinated Coffee is donating a percentage of profits to Big Brothers Big Sisters on September 12th, and BBBS staff will be hanging out at their Northshore location from 8am to 2pm to chat with customers about the need for mentors. Any customer who signs up to attend an Info Session will be entered into a drawing to receive both a BeCaffeinated gift card and an Oddstory gift card! Additionally, any current Bigs who come by the shop and bring a friend who’s interested in becoming a mentor will get a coupon for a free drink!
Oddstory Giveback Night
Thursday, Sept. 26th
Oddstory Brewing on Central Avenue is donating a percentage of profits to BBBS on September 26th! BBBS staff will be there from 5pm-8pm encouraging guests to sign up to become a mentor. Whoever signs up to attend an Info Session gets a token for a free drink!
81% of former Littles surveyed agree their Big gave them hope & changed their perspective of what they thought possible.
Our Bigs come from diverse backgrounds just like our Littles. They are regular people, just like you. You don’t need any special degrees or job skills. You just have to want to positively impact a young person. Role models come in all shapes and sizes, and you could be a perfect fit.
As a Big/Little team, you decide together what you want to do and then your Little gets approval from his or her parent. We recommend that you keep a consistent schedule of outings and get together on a regular basis. Your local agency will provide more guidance on this. The outings will also depend on the comfort level of your Little’s parents, your Little, and you.
The quality of the time you invest with your Little is more important than the amount of money you spend. That’s why we don’t encourage spending a lot of money on your outings. The goal of the relationship is to help your Little see the world through a different lens so you can inspire your Little to become something they never thought possible. If you are going to spend money, we encourage you to seek out low-cost activities, especially in the beginning. Play a game together, or share that pizza that you were going to have for lunch anyway. Big Brothers Big Sisters agencies offer donor-supported group activities that are a great way to meet other Bigs and Littles. As a Big, you may also receive notices for free tickets to cultural and sports activities for you both to enjoy.
Share an activity that gives you something in common to talk about. Go to the library, check out a book and read together. Buy a comic book to read together. Play a board game. Go on a nature walk. Hit a bucket of golf balls at the local driving range. Take a ride in the car with the radio on and talk about the music you like. You want to select activities that give each of you a chance to learn more about one another. For children, playing can be learning. Most important: keep it simple and enjoy yourselves!
In the beginning it’s most important for you and your Little to get to know each other. This can happen best on a one-to-one basis. However, over time it’s also valuable for your Little to get to know the people who are important to you. Just keep in mind that if you’re spending lots of time with others, your Little may begin to feel jealous or neglected. The main focus is the friendship you develop with your Little.
Once you are matched with your Little, a Match Support Specialist from the agency will be in regular contact with you to provide assistance and give feedback. Any time you are unsure about what to do or how to handle a situation, you will have a Match Support Specialist there to help. They’ll help you with ideas for activities, guidance for handling possible difficult situations, and feedback on how you are making a difference.
No, Littles have a parent or guardian in their life already. What they need is a Big to spend quality, one-on-one time with them. Someone to have fun with, someone they can confide in, someone like you!
