The heart and soul of Big Brothers Big Sisters are the “Bigs” volunteer mentors. As BBBSWNC expands in Transylvania County, a minimum of 30 “Bigs” willing to work one on one with at-risk youth will be needed for as little as a few hours per month.
Lake Toxaway Charities approved a grant request in 2021 to support BBSWNC’s continue its work in cooperation with Rosman schools. BBBSWNC worked closely with school administrators and educators to receive “special permission” to conduct programming in the schools using a COVID conscious protocol. This project will build on the momentum created by an influx of new support received from the Dogwood Health Trust to expand its programming into all 18 Western North Carolina counties including Transylvania County. BBBS has hired an experienced program coordinator to serve in Transylvania County. This person has the ability to recruit and train knowledgeable and compassionate volunteers, Bigs”, who understand the issues/barriers to success facing at-risk youth, “Littles”. These barriers are intensified for youth who reside in low-income families. They are more likely to experience poor academic performance and fall behind due to poor attendance, higher suspension rates and dropout rates. The highly regarded BBBS service delivery method is known for building effective and trusting relationships between “Bigs” and “Littles” that lead to vastly increasing resilience and potential success in at-risk youth.
Lake Toxaway Charities is pleased to support this worthy program for at risk youth.
