More than 1,000 kids are waitlisted as Big Brothers Big Sisters seeks new volunteers

There are at least 1,400 kids waiting to be matched with a mentor in the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana program.

Bridget Feeney, marketing coordinator for BBBSCI, told WISH-TV News 8 in a previous interview, that families have expressed wanting an additional positive role model in their children’s lives. She also said that 76% of kids who are looking for a mentor are males ages 18 and under. The majority of them live on the eastside, and most families have expressed wanting to be paired with a person of color.

The mentees the organization serves are 64% of African-Americans, 20% Caucasian, 11% multi-racial, 4% Hispanics and 1% Asian.

Little Brother Isaiah and Big Brother Bobby Humphrey were recently honored as one of BBBSCI Matches of the Year. They joined us Tuesday on “Life. Style. Live!” to share how they have been friends for the past five years, how they’ve both been an inspiration to each other and why they recommend other people to join this program.

According to their website, “Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana serves more than 1,280 youth annually ages 8 – 18 in Hamilton, Johnson and Marion Counties. We partner with parents/caregivers, volunteers, schools and the donors in our community to defend, ignite and empower the potential of every child we serve. Our mission is to create and support one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth. Our vision is that all youth achieve their full potential.”

For more information, next steps and resources on volunteering with BBSCI click here.

For general information, click here.

Instagram: @bigbrobigsisind