BBBS survives year of change

By ANNE KAZMIERCZAK
Register Reporter

A year ago, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Allen and Neosho Counties was in a two-room office that had an additional store room and its own bath. Now, the agency, which matches adult “Bigs” with underage “Littles” needing positive adult attention in their lives, is in a one-room office that measures 8 by 13 feet, total.
Noted former director Jackie Smith of the change, “We are so thankful. It is so good.”
Good, because a year ago Monday, BBBS lost their office altogether.
On Sept. 27, 2009, fire gutted the office at 9 1/2 East Madison St. and left BBBS homeless.
Salon Nyne, downstairs, and adjacent businesses were also damaged by smoke, but none else were forced to abandon their premises.
The agency has been living on the graces of others since.
First, BBBS moved into the rear of Thrive Allen County’s office.
“They adopted us, and we were thankful for that, but they were growing and needed the room,” Smith said.
Next came a call form Jeff Gilmore of Chanute, who owned a small free-standing building adjacent to Ray’s Mini Mart.
The building was on the market and unoccupied, and Gilmore offered it to BBBS for a while.
A while ended this August when the building sold — which left BBBS without a location yet again.
Serendipity took hold when Smith went to the offices of Kay Jean Brown at Street Abstract Company at 210 South St.
“My husband and I were refinancing our house,” Smith said, “and had Street Abstract do the paperwork. I noticed the little office next door and asked Kay Jean what she was doing with it.”
The reply, “Nothing,” suited Smith just fine.
Smith negotiated an in-kind exchange of the space for tax purposes for Brown, she said. And she couldn’t be happier.
“Our money was about to run out,” she noted.
The nonprofit runs solely on donations and grant funds, she said.
Noticing the financial straits of the organization prompted Smith to give up her directorship, which she had held five years, in exchange for a contract position which saves the agency money.
Case Aide Mitzi Farran observed the irony of losing their larger office.
“Who would think of a fire being a blessing?” she asked.
Insurance funds of $8,000 provided the operating budget for the agency for the past year, Smith said.
“If we didn’t have the fire, we’d be out of business,” she said.
In seeking stability for the organization’s continuance, Smith secured a one-year grant that allowed hiring of Farran, of Humboldt, and new Case Aide Kim Lubbering, of Chanute.
The grant, Smith said, obligates the organization to come up with 15 new matches between Bigs and Littles in each of Neosho and Allen Counties. Neosho County was added to the Allen County office’s service area in July, 2009, Smith noted.
Thanks to the interest of the Neosho County Community College wrestling team, 19 boys will be matched with Bigs in Chanute.
In Allen County, 37 children — boys and girls — are waiting for matches, Smith said.
“We have more boys waiting than girls,” in Allen County “because seldom do we get a Big Brother” in the Iola area, Smith said.
“Women have a little more time on their hands,” she noted, so it is easier to match girls.
When matched with adults capable of taking children out into the community, the Big and Little must both be of the same gender, Smith said.
A school-day program, in which a Big meets with a Little for 35-45 minutes during the course of regular academic time, allows cross-gender matches.
That program, called “Bigs in Schools,” also lets high school students 16 and older volunteer as Bigs. The community-based program requires that Bigs be at least 17 years of age.
Family matches — where a child is matched with a couple or family group — are also an option, Smith said.
“We have 13 checks we do on the Bigs and a series on the Littles,” Smith said, to ensure all are qualified for BBBS services.
Bigs have their driving records, court records and backgrounds checked before they can work with youth.
Most of the children served are from single parent homes and live at or below poverty level, according to statistics provided by the BBBS office. Children are referred by teachers, counselors and parents, or sign up themselves (with parental approval) at events at county fairs, in schools and the like, noted Smith.
“If people knew how drastically it affects the child and how little time it takes,” more would certainly sign up as Bigs, observed Terry Downing, district program director for Southeast Kansas Big Brothers Big Sisters.
“Their self-esteem is raised,” he said of matched Littles. “They’ll be less likely to do drugs, and it really helps in school attendance.
“Just that little time in the life of the child where someone is caring and shows them some support,” Downing said, makes a lasting impact.
Downing noted that “A lot of the teachers report the kids come in the class in the morning excited that ‘This is the day I see my Big.’”
Many kids, Downing said, might not otherwise have a positive adult influence in their lives.
“It inspires confidence because somebody is there for them,” he said. “It’s not mentoring, it’s not tutoring. It’s all about relationship, not anything else.”

TO RAISE operating funds for the coming year, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Allen and Neosho Counties is sponsoring a “Fall For Kids” fun run on Oct. 16 during Farm City Days.
The route is similar to that of the Charley Melvin Mad Bomber Run For Your Life, Smith said. Individual and team runners are encouraged to sign up before run day in order to receive T-shirts the morning of the event.
“It’s so much fun the day of an event to have your T-shirts,” Smith noted.
Those who would like to see their name in print can donate $50 or more to BBBS and have their personal or business name printed on the back of the shirt, Smith added.
In addition, the agency could use donation of storage space for its materials. “Right now, storage is under the desks,” Farran noted.
And, most importantly, “We need Bigs,” Smith said.
Planned for the coming year is a joint venture with USD 257’s SAFE BASE after school program.
“On Wednesdays after early dismissal, we’ll have Bigs go to Lincoln Elementary School to meet with their Littles,” Smith said.
Those interested in helping out once a week for 45 minutes in the school, or more as a community-based Big, can contact Smith at 365-8712 or at P.O. Box 704, Iola KS 66749. Office hours vary, but people are welcome to stop in at 210 South Street when the door is open, she said.