PROFILE: Hadley Luddy of Big Brothers, Big Sisters

With its miles of pristine beaches and scores of family-friendly summertime activities, Cape Cod might seem like the perfect place for a child to grow up. But having lived here for the better part of two decades, Hadley Luddy knows there are plenty of local children who don’t have the benefit of stable families or constructive role models to look up to.

“A lot of kids out here really do need mentors,” says Luddy, the recently appointed Executive Director of the Cape and Islands chapter of Big Brothers, Big Sisters, a national nonprofit that matches children ages 7-12 with adult volunteers who spend quality time with them in order to enrich the youngsters’ lives in positive ways that would otherwise be lacking.

“There are a lot of kids out there whose parents aren’t available at all. Maybe they’re living with a grandparent, or they might have a single parent. They might have a really significant need for someone who can step in and just talk to them,” Luddy points out.

Helping improve the lives of disadvantaged children has always been the primary focus of Luddy’s career, which began when she was still an undergrad at UMass Boston. It was there that Luddy developed Project Reach Back, a mentoring program that matched at-risk youth from the Boston area with college students who could help motivate them to stay in school and steer them away from risky activities. 

“I was really concerned about the fact that there were a lot of kids who didn’t have role models, who were in school systems that were struggling, and who were stepping up to ask for that extra support,” Luddy says. “I thought that was pretty admirable.”

Luddy went on to earn a Master’s at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education, then joined up with the state’s Department of Children and Families as a regional recruitment coordinator for foster and adoptive parents. Finding homes for kids “who were coming from really troubled situations” was a challenging job, she says, but one she found richly rewarding. 

From there, Luddy switched gears a bit, working for nearly a decade in development and marketing for a Cape-based nonprofit called Community Connections, which advocates for people with disabilities. 

Finally, this past August, when the Big Brothers, Big Sisters opportunity came up, Luddy says, “it was terrific to step back into working with kids.” Her primary goal in her new position, she adds, is “taking this organization, which has a really rich local history, to expand our volunteer reach and to try to recruit more Big Brothers and Big Sisters.”

On that note, Luddy is quick to point out that potential Big Brothers and Big Sisters on the Cape and Islands need not have an extensive array of altruistic volunteer activities behind them, nor should they feel as though they ought to boast the impressive resume of a top executive in order to make a positive impact in a child’s life.

“I think if people think of themselves as a responsible, caring adult, those are really the primary characteristics [a volunteer should have],” Luddy says. “Throwing the football out in the yard or a conversation over a cup of hot cocoa goes a long way for a kid who doesn’t have anyone to talk to or look up to; that person really becomes a hero. The volunteer might feel they have to be some big fantastic talented person, when in truth they just have to be themselves.” 

Luddy points out that the Cape’s high proportion of retirees who take advantage of its bountiful array of cultural activities has made for lots of successful matches in the past, since “we have a population of young people who aren’t necessarily getting any connection to those opportunities. They might never go to an art gallery opening, go to the movies, or walk on the bike path.”

When the initial match between a “Big and Little” is made, Luddy says, she loves seeing the look of excitement on a child’s face at their first meeting—not to mention that of the adult mentor as well. 

“I’m thrilled to be a part of that. It really feels like you’re making a huge difference in the world, and here on Cape Cod,” Luddy says. 

An open house for potential Big Brothers and Big Sisters will take place on Wednesday, November 9 from 4-6pm at 1934 Falmouth Road in Centerville.

Additionally, potential volunteers for Big Brothers, Big Sisters of the Cape and Islands can inquire about current opportunities by calling 877-933-2447, 508-771-5150, or by visiting the website, http://bbbscci.org.