Big Brothers-Big Sisters recruits mentors

By By Steve Gillespie / staff writer
Nov. 7, 2002
The local Big Brothers-Big Sisters Mentoring Program is hard at work recruiting adult volunteers.
The program launched a "friend-raising campaign" last week to register 100 new mentors within a month. A statewide effort was initiated this spring to double the organization's partnerships with children.
Roberts and other volunteers turned to Meridian Community College for more applicants this week. Volunteers manned a booth in the college's Ivy Hall during National Nontraditional Student Week.
Daphne Honore, 22, of Hickory, is a local Big Brothers-Big Sisters case worker who took applications at MCC Wednesday.
The local Big Brothers-Big Sisters Mentoring Program now has 130 active matches between volunteer mentors and children in public schools, Hope Village for Children and the Boys and Girls Club of East Mississippi.
The organization hopes to have 300 matches by the end of the year. Mentors visit children in the program at least weekly to be their friend, and offer guidance and support.
Helping children:
To learn more about the local Big Brothers-Big Sisters Mentoring program or to volunteer, call the national headquarters at (888) 412-2447 or the local office at 484-3619. You also can visit the Web at www.bigbrothersbigsisters.org.