The 120-year-old non-profit organization that is Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (BBBSOA) is making its return to Pahrump this fall. “Our mission is to provide and support one-on-one mentoring that ignites the power and potential of youth,” explains Kelly Schwartz, CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southern Nevada.
The organization matches carefully screened and vetted volunteer mentors, or “Bigs,” with kids, (“Littles”) ages 6-15 years old, with similar interests, usually from single-parent, lower-to-middle income households.
Emily Roberts, a 2019 graduate of Pahrump Valley High School, is the point-person for BBBSOA in Pahrump. Her job monthly is to meet with the volunteer, child and parent(s) of each matched pair to ensure safety of the child. Additionally, Roberts is tasked with developing a separate mentoring program.
Aside from the traditional program of a “Big” picking up a “Little” at their home and spending time out in the local area once a month, BBBSOA also offers a school-based or site-based program.
This strategy utilizes not only community volunteers, but also high school kids as “Bigs.” The mentors spend one to two hours a week with their “Littles” at a school or a designated community center. “The first part … is education, and then the other part of that is doing something, whether it’s a board game or using the gym,” says Schwartz.
As with the original program, the same “Big” meets the same “Little” each week, helping to build rapport. The same process of background checks, interviews and reference checks is used for “Bigs” for the site-based program, and is always monitored by a BBBSOA representative. For the high schoolers, this helps them build resumes for college, as well as experiencing the joy that comes from helping others.
Pahrump resident Willi Baer, who was state director for BBBSOA until 2004, was instrumental initially in bringing the program to Pahrump. Unfortunately, the community wasn’t big enough to support it at the time, and it closed down in 2005, recalls Schwartz. “It was Willi that made the phone call to me,” says Schwartz, “‘We’ve grown. We’re ready. Let’s meet… and let’s get this moving.’”
As fate would have it, Schwartz connected with Roberts, who had just moved back to the area after attending UNR in Reno, and working for BBBSOA in Northern Nevada. Roberts remembers, “Growing up here, I noticed the lack of support for children… outside of the school. There’s a hole that needs to be filled here in this community.”
Roberts is just beginning to scout appropriate sites and develop community support. She is also in need of those interested in volunteering as a “Big.” “We find that nation-wide, what we need is never more families, it’s more ‘Bigs,’” says Roberts.
Schwartz says the BBBSOA mentorship program, “…has the power to change someone’s life.”
She has numerous stories of life-long bonds that form between “Bigs” and “Littles,” and will still occasionally meet for dinner or at a sporting event.
For information on how to donate to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southern Nevada, visit their website at https://www.bbbsn.org. For interest in becoming a mentor, call (702) 731-2227.