[Noozhawk’s note: This article is the first in a series sponsored by the Hutton Parker Foundation.]
The urgent needs of more than 200 Santa Barbara County at-risk youth are met annually by the Big Brothers Big Sisters program offered through the Family Service Agency. The partnerships pair children ages 6-15 with a caring adult mentor.
These partnerships for youth from low-income homes with single or incarcerated parents, lead to more successful relationships in social and educational activities, and provide safer and stronger communities at large.
Founded in 1899, the Family Service Agency strives to strengthen families and individuals of all ages and ethnicities through locations in Carpinteria, Lompoc, Santa Barbara and Santa Maria, ensuring access to food, shelter and other basic needs.
Children who are enrolled in Big Brothers Big Sisters programs are more likely to avoid illegal drugs, alcohol and violence, achieve in school activities, and form stronger family relationships, according to a recent study, The Mentoring Effect.
The 2013 study found that youth participating in the program improved academic performance by 86 percent, avoided delinquency by 89 percent, while 90 percent gained a stronger sense of self-confidence and 85 percent made safer and better decisions.
The program carefully chooses adult mentors who develop strong relationships with their “Littles,” creating trust, friendship, self-esteem consistency, and the all-important support system that can be lacking in a challenging home environment.
Santa Barbara County Big Brother and Big Sister of the Year recipients John Shade and Tiffany Allen recently sat down with Noozhawk and explained the importance of one-on-one mentorship that shapes the lives of their matched “Littles” in a positive way. They also described how as role models they reflect on the personal rewards of helping the youth expand their horizons and blossom in a loving and supportive environment.
Shade, who served 24 years in the Air Force and now works as community association manager at The Management Trust, is a Big Brother from Santa Maria. Over the years, he has developed a strong relationship with his little brother, 15-year-old Marcos Macias, a student at Santa Maria High School. They were first matched together in August 2010.
According to Shade, the Big Brothers Big Sisters program has provided a range of fun-filled experiences for them to share, from outdoor adventures to experimenting with new cuisine.
“Probably the outings that stand out the most, have been the camping opportunities,” he said. “He has done very well in helping to set up the tent, and each time since then he recalls how we did it and we move faster.”
And the outings have included a cultural spin, introducing Marcos to theater stage productions as Shade has utilized his role as board treasurer of the Santa Maria Civic Theatre, where he has also performed, directed and managed performances.
“Marcos has helped when we had cleanup day prior to the opening of each performance,” Shade shared. “He has also stepped in to help set up for a performance by getting things ready in our reception area.”
Allen is an emergency dispatcher for the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department and currently is the Big Sister mentor for Tania Reyes, a seventh-grader at La Cumbre Junior High School in Santa Barbara. They were matched together in 2011.
Having herself grown up surrounded by domestic violence and with parents addicted to drugs, Allen feels her relationship with Tania has been mutually beneficial.
“She is one of the most polite children I have ever met,” she said. “She is so energetic, which in turn gives me more energy during our visits, and she inspires me to want to be a better person and role model for her.”
The staff at the Family Service Agency performs a thorough vetting process to find the best fit.
“Tania and I are a perfect match,” Allen said. “When I was her age I was incredibly shy and introverted, and just like her I had a hard time making and retaining friends. So, as someone who has been in her shoes and overcame the fear and anxiety associated with meeting new people, I can help her work through it.”
Big Brother Big Sister volunteers and children explore mutual interests and develop consistent relationships, spending at least six hours a month in the program together, hiking, visiting museums and the zoo, participating in sports, and more, provided by $1,500 funding raised for each match.
Click here for more information about the Big Brothers Big Sisters program, and how you can make an impact and a difference.
“What I’ve learned over the last few years is that mentors are just normal, everyday people, with a heart and desire to make a difference in the life of a child,” Allen said. “And it doesn’t require teaching math equations or history lessons — it merely takes being a consistent, loving and positive adult influence.
“In the last few years I have become someone who Tania can count on to be her loudest cheerleader and biggest fan.”
— Noozhawk contributing writer Melissa Walker can be reached at mwalker@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.