Big Brothers Big Sisters Grows Again!

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Iowa serves over 500 youth each year in Black Hawk, Bremer, Buchanan, Butler, Floyd and Fayette Counties. Due to tremendous program growth this year to meet the needs of the communities the agency serves, the agency is proud to announce the addition of two new staff positions to the team.

Sharon K. Vander Kolk has joined Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Iowa as the Executive Assistant. Sharon lives in Waverly and graduated from Hamilton College, AKA Kaplan University in 2004. She has worked for the R.J. McElroy Trust as the Administrative Assistant since 2004, and will split her time between the two organizations. She enjoys working in the nonprofit sector, and experiencing the excitement one gets when making a positive difference in the lives of youth facing diversity. “I’m excited and looking forward to supporting Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Iowa’s mission to inspire and transform the lives of our youth to succeed in being the best they can be. A Big Brother or Big Sister could be mentoring our future President of the United States!”

Shana Holmes has joined Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Iowa as a Match Support Specialist. Shana graduated from East High School in 1994 and Wartburg College in 2016 with a degree in Social Work. “I’m so excited to be part of this agency because of the opportunities provided for children to succeed through the development of positive mentor relationships. I was inspired at a youth age to want to make a difference in lives of children by my father, the late Mannie Holmes, who dedicated his life advocating for youth facing adversity. I look forward to connecting with Bigs, Littles, and their families to help strengthen the foundation of our community.” Shana currently resides in Waterloo with her daughter Naima.

For more information about how too you can make a difference in a child’s life and become a volunteer or donate to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Iowa, please visit www.iowabigs.org or contact 319-235-9397.