By Dr. Ferrell Miller
JC Breakfast Optimist Club
Michelle Sink, Area Director, and Melissa Soldan, Development Assistant, with Big Brothers/Big Sisters were the guest speakers at the January 21 meeting of the JC Breakfast Optimist Club in the Hampton Inn Meeting Room. A $200.00 donation was made to their organization for work with youth.
Michelle explained that Big Brothers/Big Sisters is an “evidence-based one-to-one mentoring program to create and support relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth. The vision of the organization is that all youth earn a living wage by age 25. Of the youth being served 50% have a household income of less than $35,000 per year; 48% have family who’s had contact with law enforcement; 41% have experienced some type of abuse at home; 59% have issues at school and 49% are isolated, have few or no friends or are bullied.”
Melissa and Michelle are both Big Sisters. Melissa shared that it is about the relationships developed with the “little”. She told a story about her own “little” who told Melissa, she was the “little’s” best friend. “That is so heartwarming” to know the impact being made on a young person. I feel like I get back so much from working with my “little”.
Mentor’s or “Bigs” must be 18 years or older and “Littles” range from 5-13 years old. For more information, please contact Michelle Sink at 785.422.9530 or email at [email protected].
Pictured left to right: Ron Johnson, JC Breakfast Optimist Club Vice President; Melissa Soldan, Development Assistant and Michelle Sink, Big Brothers/Big Sisters Area Director.