Big Brothers of Greater Vancouver (BBGV) always needs volunteers but especially now.
The mentoring agency currently needs 372 volunteers throughout the Lower Mainland (including 32 in the Tri-Cities) and the need is urgent. Helping at-risk children stay on the right path, BBGV simply cannot wait.
"January is a critical volunteer recruitment time for us," Joanne Kautz-Allard, BBGV program director, said in a press release. "The closer we get to summer, the more drastic a drop in applications we see which means more kids sit on a wait list - vulnerable to the adversities facing them."
While summer is several months away, the six- to eight-week intake process means volunteers who sign up now won't start volunteering until late February at the earliest. The timing is particularly imperative to the in-school mentoring program, which involves volunteer participation throughout the school year only. By early March, it is already too late for volunteers to join the program.
"We don't want people to rush their decision to volunteer but if it is something they have considered for a time, we ask them to take the initiative and give us a call to get answers to their questions," Kautz-Allard said. It is a commitment but most people find it's not as time consuming as they initially think."
In fact, both men and women can take part in the flexible in-school program in just one hour each week. The better known Big Brothers program requires a two- to four-hour time commitment per week. To find out how you can volunteer now, visit bigbrothersvancouver.com.
