Delaware County Big Brothers Big Sisters today launched its new “think BIG” campaign to recruit mentors who will be matched on a one-to-one basis with kids who can benefit from having another caring adult friend in their lives.

“The Big Brothers Big Sisters program has proven results,” says Mitchell Briant, assistant vice president who leads the Delaware County program. “Kids with Big Brothers and Big Sisters are less likely to use alcohol or illegal drugs and less likely to skip school. And they’re more likely to get along better with their family and more confident in their schoolwork. Why wouldn’t we want to give this foundation to all our kids?”

The campaign’s goals are to increase the number of kids being served in Delaware County, increase the number of Delaware County volunteers participating and increase funding for sustainability in Delaware County.

In the agency’s community-based mentoring program, the “Big” gets together with the “Little” at least twice a month to develop a friendship and share interests and activities. The agency also has a school-based mentoring program in which high school, college and community volunteers can mentor a student once a week, help with homework and be a friend.

“We want to give more Delaware kids the opportunity … to be matched with a Big, in either our community-based or our school-based program,” says Briant. “We have kids who are waiting for a Big Brother or Big Sister. That is the whole point of the ‘think BIG’ campaign.”

He points out that after volunteers go through the application process and are accepted into the program, they will be matched one-on-one with a child. The Big Brothers Big Sisters professional staff stays involved with the match throughout the entire match relationship, providing support and coaching to the Big, the Little and the Little’s family along the way, he says.

Briant says that volunteers and financial support are both needed in order to provide this critical intervention to more Delaware kids and help them succeed.

“We are excited to be launching this campaign, with the goal of giving more children the opportunity to benefit from the life-changing impact of the Big Brothers Big Sisters program,” he says. “You’ll be seeing us around town, including First Friday … and I hope people give us a call or stop by our office to find out how they can help our kids.”

To donate to support the Delaware program of Big Brothers Big Sisters, visit http://BBBSCOofDelCty.kintera.org/. For more information about becoming a Big or other ways to get involved, call the office at 740-369-2447.

The Delaware County Big Brothers Big Sisters office, a United Way of Delaware County partner agency, serves more than 300 Delaware County children and is part of the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Ohio family.