The Sonoma Valley Mentoring Alliance, or "Stand By Me", as the program is commonly called, began in 1996 when current director Kathy Witkowicki was put in charge of some grant money at her children's school, Flowery Elementary. Fourteen years later, the program no longer runs out of an elementary school closet, but has a large office suite, a team of employees and mentor liasons in place at all of the area elementary schools.
"Stand By Me" seeks to place at-risk elementary school children with local mentors who develop relationships and spend quality time with the kids. Mentors are placed through a thorough screening process and are asked to make a commitment of several years (many mentors form lifelong relationships with their mentees).
According to the "Stand By Me" brochure, "a child with a mentor is 98 percent more likely to stay in school." The program also organizes events, classes, an annual barbecue and career seminars throughout the year. "Stand By Me" is always looking for new mentors and people who would like to support the program financially.
As part of the nation's largest donor and volunteer supported mentoring network, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Bay Area provides meaningful, monitored, one-to-one matches between adult volunteers ("Bigs") and enrolled children ("Littles"). For more than 100 years, Big Brothers Big Sisters has operated under the belief that inherent in every child is the ability to succeed and thrive in life. Most children served by Big Brothers Big Sisters are in single parent, low income families or households and independent studies prove that mentoring can make a positive difference to help these children reach their potential. Find out how you can positively impact a child's life by donating and/or volunteering; visit www.bbbsba.org to learn more.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Desert is a youth mentoring program for boys and girls. The organization focuses on children in the Coachella Valley from the ages of 6 - 18, both in the community and on-site. Big brothers and sisters are able to take their little brothers and sisters on excursions, from playing basketball to grabbing a pizza. Each year the program expands, and over the past two years it has grown by 153 percent. Donations are always welcomed. Those interested in volunteering can find more information at its website.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of America is a nationwide organization providing mentorship to young people in need. It is currently the largest youth mentoring organization in the United States. The mentors provide various services for children between the ages of 6 and 18, including after-school sports activities, tutoring and counseling. The organization recruits mentors who seek to make a difference in children's lives, especially for at-risk youth and children from single-parent families. Visit the Big Brothers Big Sisters website for more information about the organization.
