The Chippewa Valley Post provides news of area nonprofit organizations in order to increase public awareness of their missions and activities, and to provide information that otherwise might not be made available.
Our “6 of Substance” series is part of this effort. It will present answers from nonprofit organizations, in their own words, to six questions we asked about who they are and what they do. The responses will be edited only for length, grammar and style concerns.
This series will be updated regularly to introduce Chippewa Valley residents to the many nonprofit organizations and people working to serve the needs of our area. If you have a favorite nonprofit organization that you’d like to see featured here, please let us know at cvpostwi@gmail.com.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwestern Wisconsin n
Who do you serve?
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwestern Wisconsin serves children (ages 5-18) facing adversity; their families; and the volunteer ‘Bigs’ who mentor a ‘Little.’ We define adversity in a broad spectrum and allow families to determine whether our services are a good fit for them.
How long have you been established in the Chippewa Valley?
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwestern Wisconsin was originally founded in Eau Claire in 1972 as Kinsmen (Kinship) and was formally chartered as an affiliate of BBBSA in 1995. We have since grown to support relationships in the Chippewa and St. Croix Valleys.
What are the major issues you will be facing over the next 18 months?
Our most pressing issue has been and will likely continue to be recruiting enough volunteers to serve the children in our community waiting for a mentor. Matches are made based on compatibility, which requires a diverse and extensive pool of people to fulfill demand. Our agency has over 100 children currently ready to be matched. Boys tend to wait longer than girls as there are generally more female volunteers than male. Our goal for 2017 is to make 89 new matches in the Chippewa Valley (77 more in the St. Croix Valley).
Aside from financial support, how can the Chippewa Valley community support you?
The best way to support Big Brothers Big Sisters is to get involved! We ask for a minimum of a one year commitment from our ‘Bigs’ so we understand if it’s not a good fit for everyone. But chances are someone you know would be a good fit and just doesn’t know it yet. Tell our story! Also, as a 100% community-supported organization we rely on events to generate funds and friends. Each event has a planning committee made up of caring locals and there’s always room for more help!
Who are some of the key people in your organization?
Our CEO is Wesley Escondo, our Program Director is Ashley LaVick, our Associate Director of Fund Development is Teri-Gene Conlin and our current Executive Board President is Tim Olson from Royal Construction.
What is the most important thing about your organization that people should know, but don’t?
Our organization makes it easy for anyone to make a measurable impact in the life of a child. Many people fear words like ‘commitment’ and ‘role-model’ when in reality what we do is make and support positive friendships between an adult and child who share common attitudes and interests. Our staff puts tremendous energy into getting to know everyone involved and maintaining consistent contact with the child, family & volunteer to ensure the relationship develops in an easy and positive manner.
— by Drew Kaiser, Marketing Coordinator
If you would like more information about Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwestern Wisconsin, go to www.bbbsnw.org
To download a copy of the “6 of Substance” questionnaire, click here.