Big Brothers Big Sisters Undergoing BIG Expansion

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Iowa is the recent recipient of Iowa Attorney General’s Crime Victim Assistance Division Victim Support Services New Initiative Funding. This half-million dollar grant will allow the agency to expand one-to-one mentoring services in Black Hawk and Butler Counties and begin offering one-to-one mentoring to youth facing adversity in Buchanan, Fayette and Floyd Counties.

This grant funding comes just two months after Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Iowa received recognition from the national organization as one of the top BBBS agencies in the country. Last month the agency was also selected by the Waterloo School District to take over the TeamMates mentoring program.

The new opportunities that Big Brothers Big Sisters has seized this spring will allow the agency to increase the amount of youth served in impactful one-to-one mentoring relationships from 300 youth currently to 530 youth in 2017 and 655 youth in 2018.

Residents living or working within the agency’s new service area are encouraged to apply to become mentors for the agency’s growing program. Mentors are matched one-to-one with a child and either meet at the child’s school 30-60 minutes one day each week during the school year, or mentors meet their child in the community for a few hours each month doing low or no cost activities together. Those interested in becoming a mentor can start the application process at www.iowabigs.org/volunteer.

The agency is now hiring for three new full-time positions and invites all eligible candidates to apply. The open staff positions are: Match Support Specialist, Black Hawk County; Program Manager, Buchanan & Fayette Counties; and Program Manager, Butler & Floyd Counties.

The agency is also establishing an Advisory Board in Buchanan, Fayette, Butler & Floyd Counties. These volunteer Boards will help the agency promote the importance of mentoring in the community, assist with recruiting mentors to enroll in the program, and help the agency plan and carry out 1-2 fundraising events each year to build program sustainability in the area.

Anyone interested in applying for a staff or volunteer advisory board position should visit www.iowabigs.org for more information, position descriptions, and information on how to apply.

Big Brothers Big Sisters is also seeking office locations in Buchanan, Butler and Floyd Counties. Please contact (319) 235-9397 or Katie.orlando@iowabigs.org with rental or in-kind opportunities.