Big Brothers Big Sisters of Red Deer & District (BBBS) is temporarily pausing intakes to the community-based mentoring waitlist due to the overwhelming request for mentorship.
The focus now will be directed at finding mentors for the 100 plus kids currently on the waitlist.
Referrals for families and youth with involvement with Child and Family Services (or who are at risk of involvement) will continue to be accepted.
Mentors and mentees in the BBBS Program are matched based on interest and personality, rather than a “first-come first-serve” basis. This is done to ensure a genuine connection between mentor and mentee that will last. After completing the screening process, prospective mentors meet some of the children on the waiting list, to see what kind of connections could form and a match is chosen. Once the match has been chosen, the mentor and mentee typically meet multiple times a month and do whatever activities the pair agree on.
For a mentoring relationship, BBBS asks the mentor to volunteer around 4-6 hours a month to engage in activities and connect with their mentee. This is a minimal and flexible time commitment.
More information about becoming a mentor can be found by clicking here or by contacting Janessa at janessam@youthhq.ca or by calling 403-342-6500.
Marketing and Communications Coordinator Parker Vockeroth says the organization is constantly reevaluating the situation and will look at opening the waitlist again once the current need has been met. He notes this is the first time Red Deer BBBS has paused intakes, noting other cities have taken this step previously.
Big Brothers Big Sisters came to the Red Deer & District region in 1976. Several programs and services are available to young persons and their families, including in-school mentoring.
BBBS also provides activities for waitlist children and youth (those who haven’t been matched yet) as they wait to be matched with a caring mentor.
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