by Shawn Nowlin
A child that has a stable mentor in their life is exponentially more likely to attend college, find success in their chosen profession and get married later in life.
Founded by Ernest Coulter, the mission of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America is to “create and support mentoring relationships that ignite the promise and power of youth.” Operating in all 50 states, approximately 250 agency offices are scattered throughout the United States.
Mentors (Bigs) are usually matched with children (Littles) of the same gender. Experience with kids is not a prerequisite, as care and other factors are much more important.
The one-on-one mentoring program has helped thousands of Roanoke Valley youth over the years. One such example is Destin Tanner.
Today, Tanner works at the University of Lynchburg, according to its website, as a Retail and Licensing Manager. As a youth, his life trajectory seemed like a foregone conclusion at various points.
Tanner grew up in the White Rock Hill section of Lynchburg. A self-described “kid with a bad temper,” when he was nine, his grandparents got him involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters to get his life back on the right track. Soon after, he met Anthony “Tony” Beatty.
Despite not having a vehicle at the time, Tony would use public transportation to get to Tanner’s school just so the two could spend time together.
“I remember he used to come to my school and would play basketball and do games on the computer,” Tanner said previously to his hometown newspaper. “It’s amazing the impact you can have on someone’s life by giving them a little bit of your time.”
If more adults volunteered just a few hours every month to help at-risk youth, Tanner added, it would have such a tremendous domino effect.
Kory Jackson, a single mother of two boys, was not aware of Big Brothers Big Sisters until a family friend brought it to her attention. “After doing my research, I fell in love with everything that they represent.
Unfortunately, my boys do not have a relationship with their father. This program is exactly what I was looking for,” she said.
With Tony, Tanner didn’t just get a big brother at the time when he needed it most, he got a lifelong friend. Through the good times and tough times, the two have always been there for each other.
To learn additional information about volunteering and the organization overall, visit https://www.bigbrobigsis.com.
