For those whose New Year’s resolution was to volunteer more in the community, opportunities abound with local organizations.
A pair of local nonprofits – Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Ozarks and Lost & Found – have held or planned events early this year, perhaps in an effort to capture the attention of Ozarks residents who have pledged to do more.
Men as mentors
For a one-month period, Jan. 10–Feb. 8, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Ozarks worked its 30 Men in 30 Days campaign, an effort to enroll 30 Big Brothers to pair with boys through the program.
The community responded in a big way, meeting the goal on Day 4. By the final day, 74 Big Brothers had signed on to help.
Noah Alldredge, owner of Big Time Results training facility and a Big Brother for nine months, got involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters to make a difference in young people’s lives.
“There are so many opportunities for kids to be impacted in a negative way,” Alldredge says. “It’s always good to be an uplifting, positive presence in youth’s lives.”
Alldredge’s 10-year-old Little Brother plays on the Upward basketball team he coaches at Second Baptist Church and the two have made pottery for Christmas gifts and attended movies and Silver Dollar City. Right now, Alldredge is helping the youngster with math homework.
The 30 Men in 30 Days campaign was created around a national campaign called 100 Men in 100 Days implemented in larger cities around the U.S.
“We chose 30 Men in 30 Days due to our smaller community and figured that it would be more feasible,” says Matthew Evans, recruitment coordinator with Big Brothers Big Sisters.
Alldredge estimated that volunteering with Big Brothers takes up to 15 hours a week.
“It’s tough, because I own a business. But I feel like it would be selfish on my part if I didn’t give back,” Alldredge says.
Even with community response to the 30 days campaign, Big Brothers Big Sisters still has a waiting list of 57 boys remaining to be matched. For more information, visit
www.bigbro.com.
A January anniversary
Lost & Found, which provides free grief support to families following loved ones’ deaths, celebrated its 10th birthday in January.
The organization was formed in 2001 by Springfield attorney-turned-chocolatier Shawn Askinosie and Karen Scott, who serves as its executive director.
Lost & Found received its first major funding, $5,000 from Springfield businessman Jim D. Morris, when the organization was an idea in the minds of Askinosie and Scott. Morris had been a close friend of Askinosie’s father, Larry Askinosie.
“It was an act of kindness and one person believing in another,” Scott says. “Shawn asked, Jim responded, and the ball was rolling. The response from participants, volunteers, and donors has been amazing, from that point forward.”
Lost & Found volunteers are placed into three categories: facilitator, to moderate the groups; greeter, to greet and welcome families as they come in; and committee members, to plan, promote, seek donations and find sponsors for fundraising events.
Peer support groups are based upon people sharing their stories with others in similar circumstances, and discussions are led by professional counselors and trained volunteers.
“Each group is led by a coordinator, but they’re supported by a team of volunteers who have gone through our training,” Scott says. “They meet with our children once a month. They’re an integral part of every operation we have and we’re probably maybe a little different from some in the degree they’re involved.”
Many grieving individuals in the early groups have returned to volunteer in support groups and continue the chain of people opening their hearts to help others, Scott says.
The organization counts on 60 volunteers, 45 of whom help in the peer support groups.
A public celebration of the anniversary is scheduled May 27 with its annual Memorial Balloon Release, a community event to kick off the Memorial Day weekend and commemorate 10 years. Volunteer information is available at
www.lostandfoundozarks.com.
Room to grow
While Springfield is considered by many to be a giving community, there is room for improvement, according to a civic health study released in October by Missouri State University and the National Conference on Citizenship. Springfield’s 2010 volunteer rate was 32 percent, which, according to the study, is in line with trends.
According to the study, the top ways Missouri residents volunteer are:
• 28.5 percent in fundraising;
• 27.1 percent in collecting/distributing food;
• 21.8 percent in general labor; and
• 19.5 percent in tutoring/teaching.
More than 900 business professionals serving on 18 committees and task forces will volunteer time to work on Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce committees and task forces in 2011.
While volunteers may have different reasons for committing time and different ways of helping their causes, for Alldredge, it comes down to one thing.
“I’m just really thinking about being selfless and just wanting to make a positive impact,” he says.[[In-content Ad]]
