SPEAKER_01 0:00

Good afternoon, Bluffs Country. I'm Peggy Sweet, and this is Belonging in the Bluffs, brought to you by the Iowa West Foundation. I'm joined in studio once again with my good friend Emma Beebe. She is the marketing and outreach director for Big Brothers Big Sisters. Welcome, Emma. Thank you for having me. Absolutely. Big Brothers, Big Sisters is a great organization, and you are here to talk about the mentorship.

SPEAKER_00 0:21

Yeah, so we always need mentors at Big Brothers Big Sisters. Right now we have over 118 young people on our wait list. We have two wonderful programs. We have a community-based mentoring program that matches adults with youth ages 7 to 14, and then we have a mentor you program that matches adults with high school students.

SPEAKER_01 0:43

Okay, and what does it take to be a mentor? I mean, a lot of people think, wow, that is a huge commitment, but it can be as much or as little as you want. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 0:52

So both programs have different commitment, different time ranges. But uh, you know, for community-based mentoring, we just require four hours a month. And then for our mentor you program, just two and a half hours a month. So when you break that down, that's like, you know, watching two movies back to back or your favorite series binging, you know, four episodes. So it really doesn't take a lot to be a caring adult in a young person's life.

SPEAKER_01 1:15

And what does it entail? What do we do?

SPEAKER_00 1:17

Absolutely. So in our community-based mentoring program, uh we match you based on similar interests, and then you and your mentee, or little as we call them, you go out to the community, you do fun activities, anything from grabbing ice cream, going on a walk, uh, mentor you is structured a little bit more differently. You're actually um helping a high school student, so you're talking with them over a app that we have, and then you're meeting them at their school for an activity and a meal.

SPEAKER_01 1:43

That doesn't sound like work at all. That sounds like a lot of fun.

SPEAKER_00 1:46

It is, and it's not a huge time commitment either. Absolutely, yeah. A lot of our mentors say that they get more out of it, they think, than they originally thought, and it's such an enriching opportunity both ways. So it's it's a lot of fun.

SPEAKER_01 1:58

So it's four hours and two and a half hours. Let's say we want to give more time. Are we able to give more time? This is just the basic.

SPEAKER_00 2:06

Absolutely. Yep, that's just the average amount that people spend. We we ask for at least four hours a month, but you know, we're there's no hard stopping point if if we have an event going on and you want to take them to that event and it goes over, you know, that's great. But yep, those are just some guidelines for you.

SPEAKER_01 2:22

Wow, it sounds like a lot of fun. Yeah. Um, how do we get a hold of you or how do we get started? What do we need to do to get enrolled?

SPEAKER_00 2:29

Absolutely. So you can go to our website, bbsmidlands.org, um, where you can find more information. You can fill out our inquiry form, get started. Um, we have an application that you fill out, we check your references, uh, do a background check, of course, all you know, to make sure everything's safe for the young person. But after that, you're you're on your way. Um, you do get a dedicated match support specialist um who's assigned to you and they offer guidance and regular check-ins and support, but really that's about it. You go online, sign up, and you know, you get going. It doesn't take long at all. No, nope.

SPEAKER_01 3:05

And you could be making a difference in a young person's life right away.

SPEAKER_00 3:09

That's right. Yeah, yeah. And it's really the littlest things that make the biggest difference, right? You don't need to be the perfect person, you don't need to be, you know, this upstanding citizen. You just need to be someone who's willing to be there and and offer support.

SPEAKER_01 3:21

I love that it can be as little as the four hours or the two and a half hours a month, or as much as you want, because sometimes kiddos need a little extra help. And if you've got the time, man, that's all they're asking for. That's right. That's it's that simple. Okay, so again, your website is bbbsmidlands.org to get signed up, and then someone's gonna give you a buzz and you're gonna be on your way. That's right.

SPEAKER_00 3:46

Yep, that's all it takes. And again, I just wanted to mention that we have over a hundred young people waiting um in the council bluffs area alone. We have 20 youth waiting in our community-based mentoring program, and then we have over 30 waiting um since we do serve Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson High Schools here for our mentor you program.

SPEAKER_01 4:05

And it is boys and girls. Correct. Yep, perfect. And I know you have an event coming up real soon, too. That's right, yes.

SPEAKER_00 4:12

So we have our big summer social, is what we're calling it. Um, it will be Wednesday, June 24th from 5 to 7 p.m. Um at Big Grove Brewery and Tap Room. Um, we'll be having a free taco bar, free drink tickets, and it's just a good opportunity to come out, learn more about Big Brothers, Big Sisters, invite your coworkers, friends, whomever who might be interested.

SPEAKER_01 4:32

And what was that date again? Yeah, so it will be June 24th. June 24th. Awesome. Okay, if you would like more information on that, do we need to sign up? You can RSVP if you want, or you can just show up. Okay. Yep. So, in order to get more information on that event or how you can make a huge difference in a young person's life, go to BBBSmidlands.org. Again, BBBsmidlands.org. Emma, thank you so much for stopping by. Uh, I'll see you after the event and you can let me know how things go. Sounds great. Thanks for having me, Peggy. This has been Belonging in the Bluffs, brought to you by the Iowa West Foundation.