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Frequently
Asked Questions: 1. Is being a 'Big' right for me? 3. How are 'Littles' selected? 4. What activities can I do with my 'Little'? 5. Is the program proven to work?
Is being a 'Big' right for me? Take the 'Big Quiz!' 1. Getting together with a friend
is time well spent.
Becoming a big is a very important decision. The children in this program depend strongly on the relationship bond that is provided through a strong role model. The first step in the program is to attend a general meeting, if you are a Lycoming College student, or to contact your local BBBS office. At the general meeting, officers will address your questions and explain more about the program. They will provide you with the application and forms needed for the program. The second step is to fill out the application, and once again, if you are a Lycoming College student, to either mail it to the Lycoming County's BBBS office or to take it to Sister Catherine Ann Gilvary in Campus Ministry. Once the application and child abuse and criminal check forms have been received, a caseworker from the County office will set up an interview. After all information has been compiled, a caseworker will review match recommendations for both the children and volunteer (you).
Children in the program in Lycoming County are considered "at risk" which means that these children lack the proper support in their everyday life which enables them to grow and develop into responsible and productive adults. These children are at risk of being taken from their home, risk confinement by the court system, or running away. Such children may experience abuse, sexual molestation, abandonment, neglect, lack of supervision, high risk parent/guardian role model, addiction, grief or loss, parent/child conflicts, abuse by the system, suffer depression diagnosis, isolation, attention deficit disorder, medically needy/disabled parent(s), terminal illness, academic failures and social/economic depravation. These children have a likelihood of suffering harm, loss, danger and crisis on a frequent basis, usually ending up at the hospital, Children and Youth Agencies, mental health clinics, or the court system. Big Brothers/Big Sisters supports teaming with other service providers and the school system to provide the additional support required to assist the child in being better equipped to manage their own future in the most positive manner.
What activities can I do with my 'Little'? 1. Ask your "little" what he/she would like to do. 2. Take your "little" to the cafeteria for dinner. 3. Use a globe to locate friends, travel destinations and current events together. 4. Work together to make a collage of his/her life with pictures cut from magazines.5. On his/her birthday, ask your Little to lie on paper and trace around him/her. Repeat the process each year to show how much he/she has grown. 6. Learn to count to 10 in a foreign language 7. Help your Little make a list of all the people who love him/her. 8. Help your "little" with homework. 9. Write a poem about him/her and read it on a special occasion. 10. Design a Christmas card together. 11. Role play meeting new people. 12. Invite someone who has lived in a foreign country over for dinner to talk about life in that country. 13. Use a book of names to find the meaning of his/her names and those of family members and friends. 14. Volunteer together to ring a bell for charity at Christmas time. 15. Ask him/her to share an opinion on things that are important to you.
Parts of this list were completed from the books "How to Be Your Little Man's Dad" and "How to Be Your Daughter's Daddy." Written by Dan Bolin and published by Pinon Press, P.O. Box 35007, Colorado Springs, CO 80935
Is the program proven to work? Research shows that Big Brothers Big Sisters does have a major impact on the lives of the children (Littles) we serve. Children in our program are:
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