Increased demand leaves Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta needing mentors
ATLANTA - Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta is trying to serve more kids across the area, but they need more help from the community to make it happen.
Hundreds of families come through the doors of Big Brothers Big Sisters looking for help and guidance.
"If you think about it we work with families all over Atlanta, families that may be low-income, single-parent homes, free and reduced lunch, so we're really serving young people who we say need us the most," Big Brothers Big Sisters Metro Atlanta CEO Kwame Johnson said.
There are currently 1,100 kids in the organization matched with mentors. Hundreds more are still waiting.
"Right now we have a few hundred kids on our waiting list. These are young people who have come into our doors with their families and said ‘I would love to have a mentor to walk alongside me in life,’" Johnson said.
The demand has grown with the pandemic and also calls for help from the city of Atlanta.
The organization is part of the young entrepreneur program, which offers mentorship and assistance to water boys across the city.
"So we're going right at some of the problems in the city of Atlanta that we have. So youth violence and crime and making sure young people have the support that they need to make the right decisions," he said.
The programs have proven to be successful.
Johnson said 98% of the kids graduate high school on time and 99% of the kids in the program never enter the criminal justice system.
"We have a solution for the city, we have positive results, we have young people going on to college, going on to a career, going on to the military, trade schools, you name it," he said. "And in many cases, young people who a lot of people never thought would make it to where they are today."
The organization also has plans to expand. It's why they moved from Midtown to a location off Metropolitan Parkway. They hope to also open satellite offices in other places with more need.
But it all starts with getting more mentors.
"We're taking on the challenge to work with young people who might be in tough situations, whether that be water boys, or homeless youth, or youth who are in foster care," Johnson said. "It's a two-way benefit or relationship where both sides benefit and learn from it and become better as a result of it."
If you're interested in becoming a mentor, the program will have a coach to help you out the whole time and offer support. To learn more, visit the Big Brothers Big Sisters' website.