Mentors sought for Big Brothers waiting list

When Chris and Jenny Reynolds decided to get involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Ozarks, they were somewhat concerned about the time investment. Chris Reynolds is president of business development at Intuitive Web Solutions LLC. Jenny Reynolds is vice president of marketing at CU Community Credit Union. She said they soon found out that mentoring a child fit into their busy schedules.

Most people think of one-on-one mentoring when they think of the Big Brothers Big Sisters programs that pair children with adults. But the "big couple" concept the Reynoldses chose has been in practice locally for more than a dozen years, said Lisa Slavens, executive director for the organization.

Big Brothers has eight active matches between couples and children, and the group can use quite a few more - Slavens said 80 children are on the nonprofit's waiting list, hoping for their own "big." Of those children, 68 are boys, Slavens said, noting it's easier for Big Brothers to find women volunteers.

"Boys can be on the waiting list for a year," she said.

The big couple option helps encourage more men to volunteer, Slavens said, because the shared responsibility can take some pressure off concerns about time commitment, which is usually six to eight hours a month.

"It's a great way for a couple with somewhat of a time crunch to be involved. And for some children in a nontraditional setting, it's a good way to show them what another family element could look like," she said.

The Reynoldses view their mentoring opportunity as a chance to spend time together and still have a positive impact in the community, but they've found that when work calls, there's also flexibility in the program, Jenny Reynolds said. They have been "bigs" to 9-year-old James since summer 2006, she said, and his schedule is flexible enough to accommodate their professional commitments.

"Once the relationship is built, we find that both parties make the time," Slavens said, noting that some matches spend one or two afternoons a month while others see each other weekly.

Big Brothers is using the month of January, National Mentoring Month, to try to develop more of those relationships, Slavens said. Among the ways the group is spreading the word was its presence at the Jan. 1 First Friday Art Walk, when she said about a dozen "littles" worked with their mentors on art projects, for display at Bodhi Salon and Spa, 431 S. Jefferson Ave., Ste. 106.

Year-round, two full-time recruiters work on creating awareness of the need for volunteers. Big Brothers cultivates relationships with professional groups, including the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, to help with recruitment, Slavens said.

Becca Norman, a hair stylist who volunteers with her teacher/coach husband, J.P., said the relationship with their "little," 13-year old Nathan, has grown to the point where he may spend the night.

"He has a single mom and an older brother. She trusts us and is pretty easygoing about what we do," Becca Norman said. "We've even hung out with his biological brother a few times."

Slavens said not all of the littles have difficult backgrounds. "But for some, the thought of college isn't even out there," she said. "A young professional can show them what their life could be like. I've heard story after story about kids not even knowing what (automatic teller machines) are."

The Normans sometimes talk with Nathan about college and ways to pay for it.

"We keep telling him to try for scholarships," Becca Norman said, "because we're both struggling with student loans right now."

The bigs also come away with new experiences.

"We went into it thinking it would be great to give back to a kid that didn't have a lot of resources," Reynolds said. "We're doing that, but we've learned a lot, too."