How One Volunteer Can Change A Child’s Future

Volunteering can be incredibly rewarding.  Greater St. Cloud Development Corporation Talent Director Gail Cruikshank and Big Brothers Big Sisters Executive Director Jackie Johnson joined me on WJON.

BBBS depends on volunteers

Johnson says Big Brothers Big Sisters depend heavily on volunteers with 400-500 volunteers at any given time.  She says "without volunteers, we're dead in the water".  Johnson explains the biggest challenge when recruiting volunteers is getting them over the hump of I'd like to volunteer to actually doing it.  She says they've had volunteers who've been with them for decades.

Benefits to Volunteering

Johnson says the benefits to volunteering include improving mental and physical health, networking with other members of the community, increasing the depth of the knowledge of the community, and the lasting impact volunteer bigs can have on littles.  She says the relationship bigs have with littles can extent beyond the little's childhood.

Volunteer Expectations

Expectations of Big Brothers Big Sisters volunteers include as little as 2 hours a month from October - May.  Johnson says bigs meet their littles on local college campuses, undergo an interview process and are placed with a little that fits both the big and little.  She says their programming staff is very experienced in matching bigs and littles.

Research Supports Impact

A Harvard research 30-year longitudinal economic study indicates BBBS littles are 20% more likely to attend college, they earn 15% more over their lifetimes and they grow up to achieve incomes closer to their higher earning mentors.

Cruikshank recommends employers incorporate volunteer opportunities for employees to help give back to the community for local non profits like Big Brothers Big Sisters.

If you'd like to listen to my conversation with Gail Cruikshank and Jackie Johnson, click below.