Doyle & Ogden Insurance Advisors is proud to support the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Grand Rapids Program. The Grand Rapids BBBS program was started in 1965, and matches children ages 5-17 with adult mentors who can spend valuable time with their “Little” developing their interests, academic understanding, and social ability. We regularly donate Whitecaps tickets so that the Bigs and Littles of the Grand Rapids BBBS have the opportunity to experience a fun community event together, free of charge.
If you’re looking for a way to donate to such a worthy cause, you can check the Community page on our website, our Facebook page, or the BBBS of Greater Grand Rapids Facebook page for updates on their fundraising events. Additionally, you can donate to their backpack drive, which supplies children in need with school supplies for the upcoming school year. We have a drive location, and there are many around the city, so for more information on what to purchase, and where to put it, check out the event page itself.
If you’d like to participate in the program, here’s a bit more information on how it all works:
In 1965, D. A. Blodgett – St. John’s started the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Grand Rapids Program that serves Kent County and parts of Ottawa County. The Big Brothers Big Sisters program as a whole is a nationally-recognized mentoring program that matches children aged 5-17 with adult mentors. Most of these children come from a single parent home, and may experience some academic difficulty, find trouble interacting in social situations, or have limited opportunities to develop their interests. Once the potential Little Brother and Little Sister candidates are assessed with their families, they’re placed on a waitlist until they can be matched with a Big Brother or Big Sister. Currently, there are around 175 children in the Greater Grand Rapids area waiting for matches.
If you’re interested in becoming a Big Brother or Big Sister, here’s what you should know:
- You need to be at least 18 years old
- You must spend 4-6 hours a month with your Little
- You will be supported by the child’s social worker and parent
- You can be single, married, a parent, employed, or retired
- You get to have a positive impact on a child
- You’ll have a fun break from your busy schedule
Once you put in an application to become a Big Brother or Big Sister, you will be screened and assessed. At that point, you will be trained to become a Big, and then matched with your little. The program attempts to match Bigs and Littles that have similar interests, and are likely to get along based on assessments.
For more information on Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Grand Rapids Program, whether you’d like to be a mentor, or you’d like for your child to have a mentor, visit their BBBS of Greater Grand Rapids page today!
