“Geneva is a great programming sponsor and has remained to be a fantastic supporter and partner to Big Brothers Big Sisters for years,” says Noah Kairis ’19. Noah is not only a graduate of Geneva College but also sits on the board of Big Brothers Big Sisters.
Big Brothers Big Sisters is an organization dating back to 1977 when Big Brothers Association and Big Sisters International joined forces to that provide role models for at-risk children. Children in the community are paired with adults who invest in the child’s life by spending quality time with them. Having a mentor that regularly interacts with them can have a great impact on a developing child.
In 2012, Geneva College had the opportunity to start its partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Beaver County. Elementary-aged children from Beaver Falls, New Brighton, or Rochester are picked up at their homes and transported to campus; this is called site-based mentoring. They get to spend an evening with their college mentor or Big who has similar interests to the child. These mentors range from social service majors to student ministry majors to everyone in between. Together, they start their evening by eating dinner at Alexander Dining Hall, then can play a game in the gym, climb on the climbing wall, play board games in the library, or do something else on campus interesting to them. Whatever they decided to do, the Littles have so much fun being on campus and getting individualized time and attention from their Big.
Noah notes, “My involvement with Big Brother Big Sisters began in May 2018 when I was paired up with Caden. I had heard about BBBS but didn’t know a ton about it. I have stayed matched with Caden ever since. The mentoring has been huge for me. I didn’t realize how much I would get out of it and grow by being a mentor.”
Stephanie Schindel, the faculty advisor for Big Brothers Big Sisters, explains, “Our relationship with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Beaver County is what makes a Geneva education so unique. The integration of faith and learning is put into practice as we partner with invaluable agencies in our local community. Students learn key competencies essential to social services practices while implementing those skills in a God-honoring way that supports the needs of at-risk youth.”
Social service majors can become a Big and put their classroom skills into action. In SSV 303: Agency Field Experience, they oversee the planning and hosting of three major events for waitlisted Littles. The goal of these events is to provide activities for these kids who are unable to come to campus on a regular basis due to a limited number of Bigs. Volunteers who help put on these events sometimes feel led to become a Big in the future as the waitlist continues to grow year after year.
While Noah continues to be a Big, as of last year he also serves BBBS as a board member. His role includes helping with the operations, fundraising, and spreading the good work being done through BBBS.
“We are always looking for mentors. A couple of hours a month is the ask- it is a small amount of your time but you will get so much out of it, and it really makes a difference in the lives of the kids.”
Besides volunteering time, fundraising is another big way to help BBBS. SSV 303 plans and implements a fundraiser each year with the proceeds going to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Beaver County. This year, on November 4, the Social Services Department held a three-legged relay race fundraiser. Students created relay teams and ran across Reeves Field tied together with one of their teammates. Although this was a fun activity, it was the most successful fundraiser thus far raising $2,637! This money will go toward bus fees that have recently increased to ensure Littles can be transported to Geneva College at no cost to them.
“We were blown away this year with the enthusiasm and passion of the students, we were really surprised by how well they did with the fundraiser!”
Kim Anastas, Executive Director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Beaver Falls, reflects on their relationship with Geneva College saying, “This partnership is a wonderful example of sharing community, fellowship, and Christian love to students who are at-risk and in need of people to invest in them. It’s amazing what just two hours a week can mean to a Little who needs some one-on-one attention and encouragement. Geneva Bigs are such a blessing to our Littles.”
Noah’s last piece of advice to students as he reflects on his own experience as a Geneva student is to get involved. “I would encourage any student to take advantage of this program both as a student and after they graduate. Whether it is site-based or community mentoring, I can promise you will get a lot out of it.”
If you are interested in learning more about the program or becoming a Big, please contact Stephanie Schindel at sschinde@firstnews-extra.com.
Learn more about Geneva College.
Have questions? Call us at 724-847-6505.