INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — January is National Mentoring Month and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana needs more mentors.

The organization supports children between 8 and 18 years old in Marion, Hamilton, and Johnson counties and says it has more than 1,000 kids waiting to be matched with a mentor.

Darcy Palmer Shultz, CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana, joined Daybreak on Monday to talk about volunteer opportunities and the current need for mentors.

“We are fortunate to serve over 1,000 kids in a year, but we also have more than 1,000 waiting for mentors right now in central Indiana,” Palmer Shultz said.

She says children who are paired with a Big see change and improvement in their lives.

“We see the impact in a lot of different areas kids develop socially emotionally, they engage more academically and they also tend to stay out of trouble when they have additional people in their lives who let them know that they care,” Palmer Shultz said.  

According to its website, “Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana shows up for kids in our community – creating and supporting one-to-one mentoring friendships that help them pursue their dreams. By building up a support system with parents, mentors, and community partners, young people feel empowered to achieve their biggest possible futures.”

To be a mentor, you must be 19 years or older, reside or work in or around Marion, Hamilton, or Johnson County, and commit to mentoring a young person for 4-6 hours per month for at least one year.

“We ask you to sign up for a year. But Big Brothers, Big Sisters does quite a bit to make it easier for everyone. We train you, we give you activities and tickets and lots of opportunities to do in your mentoring time. So there’s a lot of support from our team to make it as easy as possible too,” Palmer Shultz said.

The organization has two upcoming events to encourage people to learn more about mentoring:

The first is Coffee, Collab, & Convo on Friday, Jan. 26.

“The event recognizes various members of the National Pan-Hellenic Council, the nine historically African American fraternities and sororities, and their impact on Big Brothers Big Sisters,” Palmer Shultz said.

There will be a guest appearance via Zoom from Artis Stevens, CEO and President of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.

The Biggest Social is on Tuesday, Jan. 30. Organizers say it is one of the largest annual events that invites bigs, supporters, and the public to recognize the premiere of the 2024 matches of the year, celebrate the 2024 Changemaker award winners, and honor all the bigs who make our organization possible.

“It is kind of a community-wide event for anyone in Central Indiana interested in learning more about becoming a big where we’ll honor our bigs and littles of the year and just have some fun and share more about getting involved,” Palmer Shultz said.

Click here to apply to be a mentor. The organization suggests prospective mentors follow these steps:

1. Watch the video and then choose whether you’re ready to “Apply to Be a Big” or if you need to “Learn More” through a call with a BBBS team member.
2. Complete the form, and a BBBS staff member will be in contact with in 1-2 business days.