PORTSMOUTH, NH, June 28, 2009— A
study conducted by Harris Interactive© on behalf of Big Brothers Big Sisters finds adults mentored as
children through Big Brothers Big Sisters are more likely than peers with
similar backgrounds but who were not involved in the program to have a
four-year college degree, incomes of $75,000 or greater and strong
relationships with their spouses, children and friends.
These findings were released during
Big Brothers Big Sisters at its National Conference sponsored by Comcast in Miami.
“The children we serve here at Big
Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater Seacoast come from all demographics but by
and large regardless of their circumstances are among our communities most
vulnerable,” states Tawnee Walling. “We
have known anecdotally that the way our programs provide one-to-one mentoring
makes a huge difference in the lives of the children we serve. This important study conducted by Harris
Interactive© proves it.”
AMONG THE STUDY’S SPECIFIC
FINDINGS:
·
Alumni
were 27% more likely than non-alumni to have received a four-year college
degree (42% of alumni vs. 33% of non-alumni)
·
Alumni
were 39% more likely than non-alumni to have current
household incomes of $75,000 or higher
(46% of alumni vs. 33% of non-alumni)
·
Of
those who have children, a large majority (82%) feel either extremely or very
close to them, compared to 69% of non-alumni
·
A
majority of alumni are extremely or very satisfied with their relationships to
friends (72%), family (65%), and spouses (62%).
Fewer non-alumni report the same level of satisfaction (46%, 50% and 40%
respectively)
·
Approximately
two in three (64%) alumni are extremely or very satisfied with life compared to
just over one in three (35%) non-alumni
·
A
majority of alumni (62%) perceive themselves to have achieved a higher level of
success than their peers who were not involved in Big Brothers Big
Sisters. Furthermore, this is twice as
many as the 31% of non-alumni who report being more successful than other
people they grew up with
·
Adult
Littles are more likely than non-alumni to be engaged in their community over
the past 12 months, particularly when it comes to volunteering (52% vs 35%
respectively) and holding a leadership role in an organization working on an
issue (29% vs. 16% respectively)
“It is essential that we
demonstrate the long-term value of our programs. Foundations, individuals, corporations and
public funders want to invest in programs that are proven to change lives and
break the cycle of poverty,” Walling said.
A little more than half of the
alumni Littles who participated in the study grew up in single parent homes
(52%) and described their childhood financial situation as worse off than the
average American household (51%). The
Big Brothers Big Sisters alumni reported that having a “Big” in their lives
positively influenced their self-confidence, provided stability and changed
their perspectives on life,
taught them new things, influenced
aspects of their education, pushing them to set higher goals and make better
decisions.
For the complete study contact
Tawnee R. Walling at Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater Seacoast
(tawnee.walling@bbbs.org).
Big Brothers Big Sisters of the
Greater Seacoast’s mission is to provide successful mentoring relationships
for all children who need them, promoting a brighter future, better schools,
and stronger communities. We support children between the ages of 6 and 17
throughout Rockingham and Strafford counties, and have been serving the
Seacoast area of New Hampshire
since 1977. If you are interested in
becoming a Big or you know a child that could benefit from being a Little,
please call 603.430.1140 x. 302 or email billy.gaudet@bbbs.org
for more information.
