Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Big Brothers Honored

Big Brothers, Sean Hylton and Jim Brown were honored at the Mayors' Volunteer Award Luncheon earlier this month.  Read their story and find out why these gentlemen are so deserving of this award:

Sean Hylton has been a Big Brother for four years providing support and guidance to his Little Brother, DeQuonterio.  When Sean and DeQuonterio were matched, DeQuonterio was struggling with positive decision making and was behind academically.  With the support and guidance from his mentor, Sean, these behaviors have been resurrected.  DeQuonterio is performing at the level he should be academically and now knows the true qualities of friendship.  He is on the Honor Roll for the first time this year, has not had any school violations, and has increased his attendance.

Sean's commitment to DeQuonterio and dedication never falters.  After meeting in school once a week for two years, the match decided to expand their friendship and transfer into the "School Based Plus" option allowing visits to take place both during school and after school.  They have now been meeting this way for two years going to UNI basketball games, grabbing a bite to eat for breakfast, attending agency activities, along with many other activities.

Sean has taken interest in DeQuonterio's well-being making it his personal mission to keep DeQuonterio moving forward on a positive path.  Sean constantly seeks out advice to find innovative strategies to incorporate into his visits and is continually working to better his relationship with his Little Brother.  Sean understands that his impact will evolve and blossom even more as DeQuonterio ventures into becoming an outstanding individual.  Sean is a strong advocate for mentoring and sets a good example for all future mentors.  Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Iowa is fortunate to have Sean's continued service and unwavering dedication.


Since moving to the Cedar Valley a few years ago, Jim Brown has become an integral and critical component to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Iowa leadership and service delivery.  Motivated by a desire for all children to achieve success in life, he works tirelessly for our agency and our agency's youth.

Jim has been a Big Brother to DeAngelo since July of 2009.  Over the years, he and Jim have been meeting on a regular basis, going to movies, building model rockets, visiting museums and just hanging out.  Today, DeAngelo does better in school, plays football and has dreams of one day playing professionally.  Jim includes his Little Brother in activities that will stretch DeAngelo's experience and skills.  For Jim, it's all about what will make DeAngelo a stronger, more successful person, not just today, but in the future.  Jim believes he is in DeAngelo's life to ensure he's the best he can be.

Jim's commitment to the mission doesn't stop at being a Big.  He's also stepped into the role of a Board member and is currently the President of the Board of Directors.  Jim is involved with the guidance and vision of the agency and provides leadership to staff and other Board members through his words, but even more so through his actions and dedication of hard work, realistic expectations, and time.  Jim doesn't turn down an opportunity to share the stories of Big Brothers Big Sisters and understands that the mission affects our entire community.

Jim truly makes a difference in the life of his own Little Brother and to the hundreds of children served each year by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Iowa.

Congratulations to Sean and Jim on receiving the Mayors' Volunteer Award! 
Two very deserving volunteers!

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Presenting the Exceptional Nonprofit of the Year: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Iowa!

UNI Nonprofit Leadership Alliance awarded Big Brothers Big Sisters the honor of being the Exceptional Nonprofit of the Year during the 9th annual Cedar Valley Nonprofit Award Luncheon earlier this month.  We thought we would provide you with some of the important outcomes achieved in 2012 that provided a background to the nomination…

The longer a mentoring match stays together, the more powerful the impact that relationship has on the child.  The two primary ways Big Brothers Big Sisters measures the length of a match is the 12 month retention rate and the average match length.  Both of these measures have a direct correlation to outcomes of our “Littles” and to the quality of case management provided by staff.

·         In 2012, the 12 month retention rate (percentage of matches that stayed together for more than 12 months) was 72.9%, up from 50.4% in 2011 and higher than the National average of 54.6%

·         Also in 2012, the average match length (average match of closed matches) was 26.7 months, up from 19.9 months in 2011 and higher than the National average of 20.6 months

Big Brothers Big Sisters is a small agency but works effectively and efficiently on a limited budget.  We find creative ways to enhance the program and services without impacting financial resources.

·         Strong collaboration and partnerships with other entities is key for Big Brothers Big Sisters.  The program operates without a lot of unnecessary expenditures and funding is funneled directly into the mission.  Donors can rest assured that their gifts will go into programming and truly impact a child’s life

·         Being creative and multitasking is not only preferred, but an essential skill of the staff.  All staff serve in multiple roles and functions to execute marketing initiatives, special events, and programming ,providing more ownership in the agency’s success

      Big Brothers Big Sisters has strengthened service delivery through continual improvement of   policies and procedures requiring staff to work smarter and more effectively.  This has led to longer, stronger mentoring relationships and greater youth outcomes.

We invite you to follow along with us through this journey as we celebrate our 50th anniversary and continue to change how children grow in our community!
To learn more about how you can become involved please visit www.iowabigs.org
 

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Volunteering: The Top 6 Things You'll Get

National Volunteer Week 2013 is right around the corner and our friends from "Friends for Youth Mentoring Institute" put together a list of some of the rewards you may receive with mentoring and we wanted to share: 

The Top 6:

6.  Community - As a mentor you become friends with somebody you most likely would never have met otherwise.  By becoming friends you are exposed to their community and they are exposed to yours.  Like trees that grow bigger as their roots spread, the more connections we create the stronger our community becomes.

5.  Oh, the things you'll learn - Has an 8 year old ever beat you in the latest video game?  As a mentor this could easily happen.  When you're a mentor you might get beat at a lot of things, and that's your opportunity to learn from your mentee.  It's consistently impressive to see what youth are able to teach adults.

4.  Oh, the things you'll forget - The adult world is unfortunately not nearly so fantastical, wonderful or hysterical as the world of youth.  As a mentor you get to be removed, at least for a few hours, from some of the drudgery of adulthood.

3.  Oh, the things you'll remember - Hanging out with a child means remembering what it was like to be a kid.  Upon revisiting your inner kid, you might find things haven't changed much.

2.  Oh, the places you'll go - Mentoring with Big Brothers Big Sisters is all about having fun!  We help you do that in many ways, from providing you with support, to giving you discounted admissions to many community events and attractions thanks to our community partners.  We encourage you to expand the world your mentee is living in and find opportunities right in your backyard.

1.  Friendship - Let us know if you discover anything more important in life than true friendship.  Big Brothers Big Sisters has been creating long lasting friendships now for 50 years and we invite you to join us in many more years to come.

*Visit www.iowabigs.org for more information on mentoring in your community*
 
 
 
 

Friday, April 5, 2013

Black Hawk County Community Based Big of the Year

Black Hawk County honors SCOTT KINTER as the Community Based Big of the Year:

Scott has been matched with his Little Brother, Ivan, since September, 2011 but originally became a Big Brother in 2009 and has been volunteering his time ever since.  Ivan enrolled in Big Brothers Big Sisters because he was beginning to withdraw himself from social situations.  Scott came into Ivan’s life just in time to help build his self-confidence and unveil his strengths.  Scott has managed to visit with Ivan nearly every week, only missing two times in their first year together. 

Scott and Ivan participate in a variety of activities ranging from board games to fixing the fence in the backyard.  Ivan enjoys spending time with Scott because he always walks away with newfound knowledge as Scott made the initiative to incorporate more ‘life learning’ activities into their weekly visits.  Ivan now knows how to fix things around the home, work on a vehicle and make dinner.

It took some time to develop a trusting relationship with Ivan, but Scott's dedication never faltered. Conversations were limited in the beginning, but Ivan has now found a confidant in Scott on a more personal level which will help him far into young adulthood.
 
Scott believes in the mission of Big Brothers Big Sisters and supports agency efforts in a multitude of ways and will continue to do so in the years to come.
 
Congratulations Scott!

 

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

March Matches and April Anniversaries

Big Brothers Big Sisters would like to WELCOME the following new matches made in March:

Amber Wahlert and Talan
Brittany Schmitt and Mackenzie
Courtney Kleese and Vaneia
Denise Paul and Isabella
Eddie Wichman and Jackson
Elias Escobedo and William
Ellysia Ciddio and Keenan
Kirsten Olson and Katie
Liz Rucker and Bailey
Mackenzie Dolezal and Olivia
Nick Reans and Kyle
Samantha Heinze and Jalyn
Stephanie Nurre and Daylynn
William Henninger IV and Lincoln


CONGRATS to the following matches reaching their anniversary during the month of April:

One Year:
Morgan Corwin and Shalayjha
Natasha Chughtai and Shaniyah
Rick Gorman and Zach
Will Kurtt and Camden

Two Years:
Brad Timmerman and Ethan
Brittney Gosse and Rebekah
Dan Schimerowski and Chryshaun
Elissa Paulsen and Alizay
Katie Klein and BreAnna
Sarah Hannes and Marlesia

Three Years:
Bob Hoffman and McKenna

Four Years:
Carol Houk and Nakia

Five Years:
Howard Craven and Marquese