Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County Fall Newsletter

Fall 2010

Turning over a new leaf!

News from Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County, NY

Greetings!

This year alone, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County has served hundreds of children by matching them with caring adults who take the time to be a friend and mentor. There are still so many more young people here where we live who, with a little encouragement, will create and achieve goals of a brighter future. Fall is always a time for turning over a new leaf. Consider what you might do to start something Big, if it's participating in a fundraising event, supporting the United Way through a payroll donation to Big Brothers Big Sisters, making a year-end donation, or telling a friend about mentoring, or making the call to get yourself more involved. Any of these small steps on behalf of young people - who need us now more than ever in this rapidly changing world - can Start Something Big.

Bigs & Littles Digest

Volunteering to be a Big Brother or a Big Sister is fun, and the little moments that we share together are the beginning of something big. This digest is a collection of a few of the things our Bigs and Littles did together this month. If you'd like to share your story to inspire others, please let your mentor manager know, or drop us a line on the Facebook Page.

Mentoring Means Growing a Web of Friendship
~ Big Brother Anthony and Little Brother Jaddon went to an Army game with an "army" of two dozen friends, including Anthony's former Little Brother Jesse. Not only to Anthony and Jesse still keep in touch, but now Jesse and Jaddon are friends! Anthony was proud of they way his Littles both included his friend's son, who also joined them for the game.

Mentoring Means Getting Much Needed Attention

~ Big Brother Rob recently got together with Little Brother Jamaal, and enjoyed simply "chillin'" and Rob's place. They played a video game and then prepared and ate dinner together. Jamaal Loves the peace and quiet of being "able to think" and have someone who listens and doesn't judge, since he has a number of younger siblings at home.

Mentoring Does a Body Good

~ Big Brother Bob has been taking Little Brother Naz to the gym. Naz is very quiet when they work out, very focused and listens to every word Bob says! They were there over two hours and he followed every single direction, listening intently as Bob instructs him about how muscle builds and teaches him about protein and nutrition... he's really awesome there: its all about working out.

Maria Jimenez, Kimberly Harrison, and Taryn Solysiak, show just a small portion of what shoppers gave.

School Supply Drive a Success!

Remember how great it was to get your new notebooks, pencils, and backpack ready for school? There's something about starting with fresh supplies that gives one a feeling that this year is going to be great! Thanks to the generosity of IBM Sterling Forest, who donated backpacks and supplies, The Crystal Run Galleria in Middletown who held a month-long school supply drive, C&S Wholesalers, Staples, and Target, who donated school supplies, and numerous individuals who gave freely, we were able to distribute tons of new stuff to dozens of our children and families.

Sheila McGroddy

Making it Happen Behind the Scenes

Ten years ago, Sheila McGroddy, an engineer at Geovation Engineering, was looking for an opportunity to volunteer in the community where she lives. She saw an newspaper article about Big Brothers Big Sisters, and thought she would give them a call to see if they needed any light office work help. Thanks to her enthusiasm, generosity and good timing, she quickly became a member of the Board of Directors, and has been so for almost a decade.

When asked why she continues to give her time and money to the agency, she said, "I met adults who were Littles and saw first-hand the impact of the agency. I'm an engineer, and I'm impressed that the results of mentoring can be measured by data from national and new tracking systems. When you give to Big Brothers Big Sisters, you know your money is being used wisely. The positive outcomes of mentoring also have a trickle down effect, they impact siblings and the entire family."

Sheila, as well as our other Board Members dedicate their free time to our agency, helping with operations, fundraising, and new initiatives. Not all of our Board Members volunteer as Big Brothers or Sisters. For Sheila, who has a full schedule, Board Service is an alternative way to be involved in improving the life of children in the community, and we wouldn't be able to do it as well as we do without her help.

If you are a business leader looking for a way to support our work serving children in Orange County, please consider ways you may become involved, including Board Service. Call 845-562-5900 for more information.

Some Super Enthusiastic Old Navy Employees

Old Navy Steps Up Again

On August 30, Old Navy hosted an employment in service day for eight of our youth, aged 15-17. The purpose of the day was to teach skills needed to enter the workforce, including resume writing and interviewing.

Kristen Geiser, the District Manager for the mid-Hudson Valley region, hosted the day and she was joined by general managers from stores across the area, including Newburgh where the event was held. After the kids were given general training on skills, they broke off into pairs, where managers provided job shadowing and training and mentored kids for about five hours on resume tips. They role-played interviews, and then they had an open forum to practice what they learned, and got a chance to turn the tables and interview the managers. At the end of the day, each kid left with a complete resume and a packet outlining reminders on how to update the resume and interview.

The time that the general managers gave to the young people that day was all donated, and will be matched by funds from Gap, Inc. Additionally, eight promising young people are now armed with the tools they need to enter the world of work.

"Fore" The Kids

Big thanks go to the over 100

businesses and 114 golfers who particpated in our second annual Golf Outing on Monday, August 30th at the West Point Golf Course. Because of enthusiastic response from sponsors such as Goldstein Karlewicz and Goldstein, CPA's, LLC, Walden Savings Bank, Newburgh Nissan, HSBC, Progress Transit, Bergen Jaguar, DeFeo's Marina, ClearChannel, Dana Distributors, Lobo Distributing Company, and many more plus a beautiful sunny day, the golf outing raised over $31,000 for Big Brothers Big Sisters.

When local businesses partner with local non-profits, the whole community benefits, and in this case dozens of children will recieve services, which will sustain because mentors and donors provide hope for our children having a brighter future, even in a tough economy.

Big Brothers Big Sisters has had a thirty-two year partnership with engaging West Point Cadets and Military personnel in mentoring children ages 4 to 17. We depend on donations to help recruit and enroll volunteer mentors to reach more children. Funding is used to conduct background checks on volunteers to ensure child safety and provide ongoing support for children, families and volunteers to build and sustain long-lasting relationships, a key contributor to a successful mentoring relationship.

The Ride For A Child's Hope III