Big Brothers Big Sisters seeks more men to join mentoring efforts

CEDAR RAPIDS — An hour spent eating lunch, playing soccer and making dinosaurs from Play-Doh may seem like a simple thing, but for Taylor Elementary School first-graders Ayden and Avery, it's a very big thing indeed.

The twins shared those activities Jan. 25 with Cedar Rapids firefighters Matt Woerner and Mike Poch, their 'Bigs' from Big Brothers Big Sisters.

The four meet twice a month in the 'Lunch Buddies' program, one of several ways Big Brothers Big Sisters offers to get people involved.

'It's something nice we can do for kids who might benefit from it,' Woerner said. 'I feel like they can look up to us, and we can help be a positive influence on them. The buddy program is a nice first step.'

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Cedar Rapids and East Central Iowa is looking for more men like Woerner and Poch to get involved.

In 2015, 688 kids were involved in the Cedar Rapids Big Brothers Big Sisters chapter. Children enter the program at their parent's request, sometimes after a recommendation by teachers or counselors.

Boys under age 9 can be matched with either men or women, but the organization's rules say older boys must be matched with male mentors.

Currently, more than 100 kids are waiting to be matched with a 'Big,' as adult mentors are known. The average wait time for a girl to be matched is three months, while boys typically wait six months to a year.

Around 75 percent of those on the waiting list are boys. But only about a third of inquiries about volunteering come from men.

The organization wants to change that and has begun rolling out its 'Male Mentor Project' to attract more men to volunteer as Big Brothers. They received a $39,000 grant from the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation's Gerald T. and Karen J. Knox Fund in support of the effort through re-branding and outreach.

Part of those efforts include reaching out through employers. That's how Woerner and Poch heard about the volunteer opportunity.

Woerner said their employer being flexible and letting them take the time during the day made getting involved easier.

'This is something that's a good cause for a short amount of time,' Poch added.

He remembers looking up to firefighters as a kid.

'I always thought, man those guys are so cool,' he said. 'So this is a good avenue to have a positive influence on kids.'

School-based volunteers like lunch buddies commit to two hours a month spent with their 'Littles.' Community-based volunteers commit to four hours a month.

There is a particular need for men of color, Big Brothers Big Sisters community outreach specialist Nick Hofmeyer said. A disproportionate number of children served by the organization are black or Latino.

'We want to celebrate their diversity,' Hofmeyer said. 'We're trying to reflect that in our agency.'

Sometimes the benefits of the program aren't quantifiable — things like increased confidence and having an adult to confide in, but Big Brothers Big Sisters does track what it can.

The organization gives children assessments when they enter the program and then periodically after, looking for three key areas of improvement. Eighty-nine percent of participants saw educational success, measured by grades, tardiness, absences and other measures. Ninety-two percent saw reduced risky behaviors, and 91 percent improved social skills.

Taylor Elementary volunteer enrichment coordinator Joanna Green, known by her students as 'Ms. Jojo,' said she sees the benefits in the number of kids who ask her when they can have a Big Brother or Big Sister, and in the students who eagerly ask when their mentors will return.

'If I could have every child at Taylor have a lunch buddy, that would be my dream,' she said.

As Poch and Woerner prepared to leave, both boys ran up and gave them wholehearted hugs. 'It makes it worth it,' Poch said. 'I enjoy seeing them happy.'

Get involved

For information about getting involved in Big Brothers Big Sisters, visit beabigcr.org or contact operations specialist Sally Miller at sallym@beabigcr.org or (319) 377-8993 Ext. 116.