Local Teens Reach Out to Kids in Need

"I love having teen volunteers as Bigs," said Mollie Crooks, executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Zanesville. "It feels like we're serving both Bigs and Littles. The high school kids gain so much. They build their self-esteem, strengths, accountability and respect for others. And with the younger volunteers, the elementary students are thrilled. It's cool that they have a young person to look up to."

After witnessing the positive effects the program had on a friend of hers who used to be a Little, 18-year-old Elizabeth Sandlund was moved to get involved. She's been a Big Sister for about a year to the same girl.

"I've had a lot of people to look up to and it's nice to be that person now that kids can look up to," said the West Muskingum High School senior. "And I enjoy working with younger kids. My Little is close to my age and we have a lot in common."

Crooks said some matches team Bigs and Littles with similar backgrounds while others bring together two completely different backgrounds, but either way there's always an opportunity to learn more and give back.

"It's inspiring because in general you hear so many negative things about kids but with this program there are so many positives," she said. "The high school kids are always willing to make a difference in the community and in kids' lives."

That's why Durant recently became a Big Sister with the program. She said a group of Rosecrans seniors participated in the organization for a class project.

"I saw the impact they made and it was impressive, and I wanted to do my part," Durant said. "Mentoring is neat. You always hope you can be a positive role model for younger kids."

Even with her hectic schedule, Durant has committed to participating in activities with her Little at least two times a month. Even as she prepares for college next year, she also hopes to remain involved and stay in contact with her Little.

Sandlund feels the same.

"I'd love to continue with Big Brothers Big Sisters; the only problem with starting in high school is going off to college," she said. "It's going to be hard to leave my Little, but with technology and things like Facebook we'll keep in touch. Hopefully one day when I've settled down somewhere I can invest in another Little and have more time."

Crooks said thanks to many teenage Bigs like Sandlund and Durant, younger children are able to achieve personal and educational success.

"They're a good support for the schools, and the teachers and parents see positive outcomes," she said. "The Littles attend school more, have less behavioral problems, and see academic improvement. It's a win all the way around. Without our high school volunteers we wouldn't have been able to grow our school based program. We have 115 school based matches and currently have 65 high school student volunteers, and we always need more."

Sandlund advises teens to simply put themselves out there and dig in.

"It's great helping people and it's a win-win situation," she said. "You can get involved in so many different ways and you can't go wrong with it. Everyone has a story and it's worth investing in their lives."

                                                                               Holly Richards-  The Zanesville Times Recorder