Troop 888 Brings the Goods

Sometimes young people and families struggle from living in conditions of adversity in their homes and communities. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Long Island is one of the organizations to which people can turn in times of distress. Nesconset/Smithtown Boy Scout Troop 888 partnered with Big Brothers Big Sisters to launch a clothing drive to help support the organization’s mentoring program. Troop 888’s goal was to collect 200 bags and boxes of goods for donation and reached this stretch goal, filling a truck to the brim with 204 bags. Clothing and household goods translate into funds to support the match of an at-risk child to a caring mentor called a “Big Brother or “Big Sister”. The value of this mentoring goes far beyond what a dollar can buy. It can change the world of a child for the better. Mentoring does this by providing a safe, supportive relationship that helps “protect” the youth from the potentially destructive environment surrounding him or her. Protective factors are things that, in essence, build a wall around an individual to help provide shelter from negative influences. Simple things like routinely eating dinner together as a family help build personal strength to resist peer pressure and other bad influences. Imagine if every child had a caring, loving mentor to lead them down a positive path in times of stress. This may seem like a routine part of family life, however, not every family is able to deliver this kind of nurturing during times of turmoil. Mentors can step in and cradle the young person by building his or her protective factors ensuring stronger character and self-worth. The boys of Troop 888 deserve a round of applause for their unwavering dedication to the needs of others!