LITTLE MOMENTS, BIG MAGIC

 

Our Mission Statement:

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Rockland County, Inc. makes a positive difference in the lives of children and assists them to achieve their highest potential through professionally supported, one-to-one relationships with committed volunteer mentors, resulting in confident, competent, and caring individuals.

Who We Are:

•  Big Brothers Big Sisters of Rockland County, the pre-eminent leader in mentoring, is a formalized NYS nonprofit youth service organization offering a stabilized support system to disadvantaged, underserved at-risk children and youth, 7-18 years of age, living in single parent households.

•  Our fully screened, committed volunteer mentors effectively provide a positive support, and serve to counter disruptive social behavioral patterns, poor academic achievement, and potential criminal behavior as endorsed in the 1998 and 2006 Colorado State Study for Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency Blueprints for Prevention of Violence Fact Sheet.

•  Big Brothers Big Sisters has been serving Rockland County for over 23 years, supported by the oldest mentoring program throughout the USA, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, and its century-long Standards of Excellence and Best Practices.

•  Big Brothers Big Sisters is the only agency in Rockland County to offer one-on-one, long-term, professionally supported mentoring partnerships for a minimum of four hours each month for one year or longer. Since our unique off-site structured mentoring technique does not restrict mentoring to a specific program site or center, mentors and mentees are free to plan activities at venues and times of their choosing, taking full advantage of the broad cultural, recreational, and learning opportunities in the community.

•  Big Brothers Big Sisters' mentoring programs serve as agents of change. Consistent association with positive adult role models has been shown to reduce teen violence, reduce gang involvement, improve self-esteem, lead to better decision-making, and enhance quality of life. Through disciplined, positive interaction with caring, non-judgmental adults, matched youth become more likely to succeed, avoid delinquency, remain in school, graduate, set, and achieve personal goals, and grow into healthy, productive adults.

A recent study conducted by a national research firm examined the impact of our program on youth and revealed that when compared to their peers, Little Brothers and Little Sisters who met with their Big Brothers or Sisters for at least one year were:

•  46% less likely to initiate drug use;

•  27% less likely to begin drinking alcohol;

•  33% less likely to act violently;

•  52% less likely to be truant a day from school, and earned higher grades.

Almost across the board, these outcomes are higher for minority youth.  For example:

•  Minority boys are 67% less likely to initiate drug usage; and

•  Minority girls are 72% less likely to initiate drug usage.

 

Who Our Littles Are:
Any at-risk child or youth, age 7 to 18,
living in a single parent home, group home, or foster home.

 

LITTLE MOMENTS, BIG MAGIC

Think back to your youth. Think about the person in your childhood who shared new experiences and ideas with you. Perhaps it was a teacher, a coach, or a grandmother. Regardless, they introduced some magic into your world and your eyes opened like wildflowers. By becoming a Big Brother or Big Sister, you too can turn bits of magic into big moments in a child's life.

 

Educational Impact
Big Brothers Big Sisters is making a huge difference in your community! Thanks to the hard work and dedication of our county's college students, faculty, and staff members, the youth of Rockland County has much to get excited about. Tracking youth from 7 th to 12 th grades, participants in our school-based mentoring programs achieve a 100% graduation rate.

 

Other BBBS of Rockland County Programs:

•  Court Ordered Supervised Visitation

Site based at Building K, Pomona Health Center

A year round Child Advocacy Program providing supervised visitation between non-custodial parents and their children via a Court Order for up to 2 hours per week. The program currently is in operation Thursday evenings from 6-8 pm and Saturday mornings between 9:30am-1:30pm. Approximately 24 visits are attainable each week.

Location:     Building K, Sanatorium Road, Pomona.

Collaborative:   Rockland County Family Court

•  Rockland County Mentoring Collaborative

Site based at Dominican College

Peer mentoring after school program serving high school students from Spring Valley High School who are low academic achievers with social behavioral issues and at risk of not graduating high school.

Collaborative:   Mental Health Association of Rockland County Success Team

•  JUMP – Juvenile Mentoring Program    

Site based at the Haverstraw Community Center

One-to-one after school mentoring program serving 7-15 year olds at risk youth from the Village of Haverstraw. Mentors are 18 years of age and older from the community and/or college students trained by BBBS in Life Skills, Anger Management, Bias Awareness, Conflict Resolution.

Collaborative:   The Village of Haverstraw, Haverstraw ReachOut Counseling Center, NYS National Guard, Boy Scouts of Rockland County

•  New York Children of Promise     

Community Based

BBBS matches children and youth between the ages of 4-18 years in one-to-one partnerships with fully screened volunteer adults throughout the community. Regular visits between BBBS professional staff and incarcerated parents provides focus on nurturing the child's psychological development and eliminating societal-peer stigma and challenges.

•  Boys Council             

Site based in Nyack, Haverstraw, and Spring Valley

Serving low to high risk males between the ages of 9-18 who are susceptible to family/peer conflict, anti-social behavior, school disciplinary problems, bullying, criminal activities and street gang attraction and/or involvement. In three 10-week sessions throughout the school year the program will educate boys and young men in the process of gaining skills and knowledge to navigate growing up male in today's society. The focus is on the challenge of self-motivation and courage to act on personal principals, self respect and respect for others (girls and women).

•  Fostering Positive Futures

Community Based

A BBBS of RC evidence based model designed to strengthen the lives of adolescents (12-18 years of age) who are in the Rockland County foster care system offering youth a foundation from which to make safe and healthy life choices, develop a sense of confidence, and assist them in transitioning from foster care to an independent and productive adult life.

Collaborative:   Rockland County Department of Social Services

•  Gang Awareness Prevention

Site based at the Haverstraw Community Center

An adjunct program to the Juvenile Mentoring Program serving 7-15 year old low to high risk-youth. Program curriculum involves educational presentations, visuals, written information and speakers from the county law-enforcement and probation officers.

•  Fit For Life        

Site based at the Haverstraw Community Center

An adjunct program to the Juvenile Mentoring Program serving 7-15 years old medium to high-risk youth. Program curriculum involves pre and post testing of healthy eating habits, safe and healthy life choices with a focus on youth obesity, and physical exercises. Professional weight trainers presented on a bi-weekly basis.