Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Lakeshore teamed up with three local coffee shops to launch their “Thanks A Latte” fundraiser. Thanks A Latte is helping the agency bring awareness to the need for positive adult mentors (Bigs) in the lives our community’s vulnerable and at-risk children (Littles). Lemonjello’s and Joe2Go, both of Holland and The Book Nook in Montague are the agency’s current partners during the month of October.
Lemonjello’s donated 20 percent of their sales on October 1, 2013, and offered customers the chance to make a $10 donation to the agency in return for a ceramic Thanks A Latte coffee mug. In addition to offering the mugs for a $10 donation, Joe2Go and The Book Nook will offer the opportunity for their customers to add $1 donation to their order. All three locations are offering $1 refills on coffee if you bring in your Thanks A Latte mug.
The agency is faced with an ever-increasing number of parents requesting mentors for their children. Currently, more than one hundred children are waiting to be matched or to begin the enrollment process for the agency’s Community-Based program. The Thanks A Latte funds will assist the agency’s professionally trained Match Support Specialists monitor the safety of the Little and assist with the healthy growth of the mentoring relationship as well as allow the agency’s Enrollment staff to begin targeted volunteer recruitment.
Big Brothers Big Sisters, the nation’s largest donor and volunteer supported mentoring network, holds itself accountable for children in its program to achieve measurable outcomes, such as educational success; avoidance of risky behaviors; and higher aspirations, greater confidence, and better relationships. Partnering with parents/guardians, schools, and others in the community, Big Brothers Big Sisters carefully pairs children (Littles) with screened volunteer mentors (Bigs) and monitors and supports these one-to-one mentoring matches throughout their course.
Locally Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Lakeshore has served thousands of children, volunteers, and families in Ottawa, Muskegon, Oceana, Mason, and Lake counties since 1969. The agency currently serves more than 165 Littles through traditional one-on-one community based matches and will again serve up to sixteen Littles at Edgewood Elementary in Muskegon Heights through a Lunch Buddy’s mentoring program
Additional information about the agency is available at www.bbbslakeshore.org or like us on Facebook.
Source: Darcy Brady, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Lakeshore, 231-798-1391, ext 221 or [email protected]
