Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Detroit has launched a drive to recruit 100 new mentors in 100 days. BBBS offers the most proven mentoring programs in the US and has found new momentum in the White House initiative started last year: President Obama?s My Brother?s Keeper, which addresses persistent opportunity gaps faced by boys and young men of color to ensure that all young people can reach their full potential.
This year BBBS marks the 8th “100 Mentors in 100 Days” campaign, seeking to fill the constant need for volunteers to build ladders of opportunity for boys and youth of color. During the campaign, supporters are asked to mentor one or more youths deemed by school counselors, or other community authorities to be ?at-risk?. Areas of particular significance include Detroit, Pontiac, Highland Park and Hamtramck.
Campaign activities include partnership recruitment with local African-American fraternities during Black History Month (February), as well as corporate and faith based mentor recruitment. There is also a fund-raising component to the campaign and BBBS hopes to raise $100,000 to maintain support infrastructure.
“As part of Metropolitan Detroit, we are happy to support the newly launched White House initiative, My Brother?s Keeper through our ‘100 Mentors in 100 Days‘ program. We will be directing our efforts toward finding much-needed mentors for youth struggling to achieve and thrive in our communities,” notes Jeannine Gant, BBBS CEO. “We want to stress how these supportive, healthy relationships formed between mentors and mentees can actually result in life changing benefits for both.”
Initiated in January, 2015, the drive will culminate in April with a “Mentor Mingle”, bringing veteran mentors together with the new recruits for an exchange of ideas and a reinforcement of the program goals.
To volunteer or for more information, call 313-309-0500, visit www.bbbsdetroit.org or follow us Twitter: @BigBroBigSisDet and Facebook: BBBSMetroDetroit.
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