Big Brothers/Big Sisters honors mentoring month
January 26, 2007, The Sparta Independent (New Jersey)

Newton - Take a moment this month to think about the importance of a mentor in your life.

Then, think about becoming a mentor.

That’s the advice Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Sussex County has for county residents during January, National Mentoring Month.

Many people envision Big Brother/Big Sisters as an urban organization partnering wealthy uptown executives with underprivileged boys from the projects. That hardly fits the facts in Sussex County, according to Dianna Morrison, director of fund development and marketing for Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Sussex County.

The group actually has three programs. The community-based program is what most people know about. A Big and Little are paired and spend time together. Anthony, a Little from Newton explained he and Mike Lipesky, his Big, go bowling, play pool, attended a hockey game, and just do fun things.

Site-based programs, often in schools, bring a mentor in for a period a week to spend time with a Little. Often college students fill the role of mentor for high school or junior high school aged students.

Newton is a good spot for this, with Sussex County Community College just up the road, according to Dierdre Gross, guidance counselor at Halsted Street School and coordinator for the site. Mentors can visit their Littles between college classes.

Dan Pevarnik, a sophomore at SCCC, was playing cards with two Littles, Kyle and Dylan, on a recent afternoon. He will be meeting with each of them individually and keeping track of how well they are doing in school, as well as having a good time with them.

BB/BS also has a peer program in which younger kids spend time after school with high school students. If they are in sixth, seventh or eighth grades, they are mentors-in-training. Courtney, a Little who is now in sixth grade explained she has enjoyed the program and wants to be a mentor as she gets older. “I want to help other kids,” she said.

Counting all three programs in Sussex County, 252 matches were made last year, but there is still a waiting list of Littles.

Littles aren’t necessarily from single-parent homes or from poverty, Morrison said. They come from many communities around the county and from every socio-economic level. “They are children who can benefit from having another adult in their lives,” she said.

Parents or guardians must request a match, she said. For school-based matches, teachers or guidance counselors must see a need for a match. All Bigs are screened with a criminal background check and extensive interview. Bigs in community-based programs also have home inspections and motor vehicle records checks. Bigs and Littles are matched for common interests, as well, Morrison said.

For more information, call 973-300-4149.