We are in dire need of men. Rhiddlehoover said boys make up about two-thirds of the 60 kids waiting to be matched with a big brother or big sister in Abilene. Most volunteers are women. Big Brothers Big Sisters is the nation's oldest and largest youth mentoring organization. It matches kids with adult mentors willing to share their time.
Transportation is important, but a person without a car can work with a partner who does have one.
The screening process includes an interview, a home visit and a criminal background check. Interested students may attend an hour-long volunteer orientation Thursday at noon in suite B of The Younge Building at 1720 Pine St. Two mentors are assigned to a child to give children more mentoring time on whatever schedule works best. But it requires more responsibility for the bigs to stay in contact with their littles. Site-based matches involve meeting at a particular location at the same time every week.