Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Cayman Islands is appealing to the men of Grand Cayman to donate just one or two hours a week to change the life of a child forever.
There is a long list of young boys currently waiting to be matched with a Big Brother and they need your help.
To assist in its recruiting efforts, the organisation held its ‘30 men in 30 days’ campaign to coincide with the month-long celebration of Child Month in May. The goal of the campaign was to sign up 30 male mentors in 30 days.
Governor Duncan Taylor was the patron of the well-attended fundraising brunch on 22 May at Abacus that acknowledged individuals and corporations instrumental in making a difference in the life of a child.
Appreciation awards were presented to LIME, Caribbean Utilities Company, Diamonds International, the Lions Club of Grand Cayman, the Ritz Carlton, Grand Cayman, Cayman National Bank and George Town Primary School.
While being treated to brunch, attendees were shown first-hand how their contributions have had a positive effect when two former Little Brothers provided moving testimonials of their personal experiences and encouraged people in the community to become mentors or donors.
Guests also helped raise money for the organisation through their participation in a raffle of items donated by Jacques Scott, Blackbeard’s, Stacy Parke, NY, and Cayman Cupcakes.
Mission
Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Cayman Islands’ mission is to provide children facing adversity with strong and enduring, professionally supported one-to-one relationships that change their lives for the better.
Independent research has shown that kids who are in the Big Brothers Big Sisters programme are 46 per cent less likely to begin using illegal drugs, 27 per cent less likely to begin using alcohol, 52 per cent less likely to skip school, more confident in their performance in schoolwork and get along better with their families.
Children between the ages of five and 14 are matched with caring adult mentors for either a school based or a community-based mentoring programme, Bigs (mentors) and Littles (children) meet for one our a week at the child’s school throughout the school year. They play games, work on homework or just talk. Big Brothers Big Sisters asks for a one-year minimum commitment to have the best outcomes for the child.
The community-based programme is where the Big and Little meet out in the community for a few hours, a few times per month.
Activities can include taking in a movie, shooting hoops or a walk on the beach and don’t require spending money, as it’s the one-on-one time that is most important to these children.
The local chapter of Big Brothers Big Sisters has recently repositioned the brand in accordance with Start Something – an international initiative inviting all adults – not just volunteers – to support quality mentoring to help children who face adversity beat the odds. Start Something challenges all those who live in the Cayman Islands to contact Big Brothers Big Sisters at 945-6315 or visit www.bbbs.ky to get involved in volunteering.
“We currently have a number of children eagerly waiting to be matched to a Big Brother or Big Sister, but we simply do not have enough adult mentors, especially men,” stated Big Brothers Big Sisters Chair Margaret Ramsay-Hale.
She added that she hoped the 30 men in 30 days campaign would communicate the pressing need for volunteers and motivate men in the community to make a positive difference in a young boys life by becoming a mentor.
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