PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WMBB) – Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Northwest Florida fosters one-on-one mentoring throughout Bay and Okaloosa counties. In Bay County, there are 24 kids waiting for a mentor. This means 24 kids are signed up and ready to be matched with a mentor. However, the organization lacks the mentors to pair […]
PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WMBB) – Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Northwest Florida fosters one-on-one mentoring throughout Bay and Okaloosa counties.
In Bay County, there are 24 kids waiting for a mentor. This means 24 kids are signed up and ready to be matched with a mentor.
However, the organization lacks the mentors to pair these children with.
In fact, the wait list is at an all-time high.
Match Specialist, Leanne Gaudet, said recruiting mentors is the hardest it’s ever been.
“There’s a lot of misconceptions [about mentoring], and I think sometimes talking about those, can ease people’s minds that they can do this,” said Gaudet.
She said the most common response she hears from those hesitant to commit to mentoring is “I don’t have the time.”
Gaudet said this is by far a huge misconception
“I know we are all over-scheduled right now,” said Gaudet. “One of the things I always stress is it’s going to be sharing your time.”
She said when you become a mentor, you’re encouraged to do life-skill building with the child and spend time doing things you might already be doing.
“So it’s not really extra time,” said Gaudet.
Another misconception about mentoring? Gaudet said many feel they won’t be able to afford it.
“Entertaining children sometimes, absolutely, for sure, can get expensive,” said Gaudet. “One thing we encourage is low-cost or free activities.”
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Florida has partnerships with area businesses which provide free or discounted meals or activities for a Big and their Little.
Gaudet said an individual must be 18 to volunteer, but there is no age limit. For those who think they may be too seasoned, Gaudet said there is no such thing.
If you’re interested in becoming a mentor, call Leanne directly at (850) 763-KIDS.
You can also learn more about the organization here.
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