Big Brothers Big Sisters
kicks off local program

ABOVE: Ina Burmeister raises her arms after a gutterball during a bowling fund-raiser at Super Bowl on April 26, 2008. Big Brothers Big Sisters is back in town after a 22 year absence and held the fund-raiser as a kickoff event. BELOW: Christina Viallacana gives her grandmother a high five after bowling during Big Brothers Big Sisters' Bowl for Kids Sake. [photos by Brian Leddy / Independent]

By Elizabeth Hardin-Burrola
Staff Writer

GALLUP — Big Brothers Big Sisters has come to McKinley County, and the organization is looking to match mentors with area students needing a little extra positive adult attention in their lives.

Sarah Luginbuhl is the newly hired local BBBS community coordinator. A stand-alone BBBS program operated briefly in Gallup about 22 years ago, she said, but the new program is one of 11 county programs operated under BBBS of Northern New Mexico.

In an interview on Monday, Luginbuhl said she is looking for pupils, ages five to 15, and adult mentors who are interested in being a part of the program. The McKinley County program has already enrolled four adult mentors and has another dozen adults in the application process, she said. BBBS is open to children from all types of households, Luginbuhl explained, not just the stereotypical child from a single-parent home. For example, she said, a boy coming from a two-parent home with several sisters may be interested in having a Big Brother in order to have a little more guy-time activities in his life.

Two types of BBBS programs will be offered. A community-based program, which is the most familiar program model, is when a “Big” — an adult mentor 18 years or older — is matched with a “Little” — a child with similar interests — and they get together at least twice a month for fun activities like bike rides, bowling, hikes, sporting events, movies, cooking activities, or craft projects. The adult mentor has to make a commitment to the program for at least a year, and the child has to be enrolled by a parent who gives approval to the planned activities. Married couples and families can also be matched with a Little Brother or Little Sister.

A school-based program is the second program option. This is for elementary school pupils whose parents don’t want their child to be involved in community activities with a mentor but who realize their child could benefit from a positive, weekly in-school visit from an interested mentor. In this program, the mentor — either an adult or a qualified high school student — makes a commitment to visit the child in school each week at the same time, usually during lunch or during an after-school program. Although they may establish a familiar routine like eating lunch together or playing a board game, Luginbuhl said the most valuable activity the mentor may do is to listen to what the student has to share and be a supportive friend.

The time commitment isn’t as demanding, she said, but BBBS program officials feel the school-based program is equally influential in the lives of children who participate.
“I think it has helped because it’s that extra influence,” Luginbuhl said.

Enrollment in BBBS is free to both the child and the mentor. Luginbuhl said BBBS gets about half its money from state funding and the other half from grant programs and fund-raising efforts. The local BBBS organization recently held its first fund raiser in Gallup, “Bowl for Kids Sake,” a bowl-a-thon featuring five teams who raised more than $3,000 to kick-start McKinley County’s program.

Adults interested in becoming mentors will have to submit to a background search that involves a felony criminal background check, a sexual offender background check, and verification of automobile insurance coverage. In addition, applicants must furnish three references and be interviewed. Male mentors are assigned only to boys while female mentors can be assigned to girls or boys.

Children interested in the program must participate in a one hour interview, Luginbuhl said, along with a parent. The only reason a child would not be accepted into the program is if the child has a very severe behavior or mental disability, she explained, due to the lack of specialized disability training for volunteer mentors.

Information: Sarah Luginbuhl: (505) 728-8356, sluginbuhl@bbbsnorthernnm.org