AUBURN — January is National Mentoring Month. The Child Health Center offers Big Brothers Big Sisters Mentoring, the center’s largest program, throughout Oxford, Androscoggin and southern Franklin counties.
Since 1990, the Child Health Center has been bringing Big Brothers Big Sisters to the areas they serve and today, it is the largest mentoring program in Maine with more than 300 matches.
A match is an elementary and middle school child who is paired with a high school and college student or an adult within their community. The program offers two versions of mentoring: site-based mentoring, which includes after school programs and the more traditional community-based mentoring.
In site-based mentoring, youth age 7 to 13 are matched with a high school or college student or an adult. Volunteer Bigs may choose to meet with their Little at the Little’s school, during the school day, for one hour a week or at one of the after school programs.
In community-based mentoring, a young person age 8 to 13 is matched with an adult from the community. Matches meet for a minimum of six hours a month and share in activities within the community such as sports events or movies or they may share time cooking or playing games or just spend time together talking.
National research has shown that positive relationships between youth and their Big Brother or Big Sister have a direct and measurable impact on a child’s life. Statistics show that Little Brothers and Sisters are:
more confident in their schoolwork performance, able to get along better with their families, 46 percent less likely to begin using illegal drugs,
27 percent less likely to begin using alcohol and
52 percent less likely to skip school.
To learn more about the Child Health Center’s Big Brothers Big Sisters Mentoring Program, call 743-7035 in Oxford County and 782-5437 in Androscoggin and Southern Franklin counties.
Those who would like to support mentoring in the community but cannot commit to becoming a Big, may join the Bowl For Kids’ Sake fundraiser. Participants should form a team of four, register the team for the local event, raise a minimum of $35 each and then bowl.
For more information, call the Child Health Center or visit www.childhealthcenter.org and click on the Bowl For Kids’ Sake icon.
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