Volunteers Needed…and CLICK HERE TO READ Orange County Register Article! (yours truly was quoted and picture there)
This Saturday two full-busloads of Big Brother/Big Sister volunteers together with “Little Brothers” and “Little Sisters” spent the day at Knott’s Berry Farms (theme park tickets were provided by KBFs); and Lunch was provided by Panda Express, with support also from Wahoo.
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Among the many volunteers, Volunteering from about 10 am – 5pm were:
- Me (Francisco Barragan) former US Marine and Commander of UMAVA (United Mexican-American Veterans Association);
- Roselia Flores, Accountant and LULAC Treasurer in OC;
- Everardo Nava, Corporate Controller, former US Marine and UMAVA member
- Jonathan Rossi, Attorney and Former US Rep Loretta Sanchez Staffer in DC.
- Nelida Yanez, M.P.A. degree, Community Leader, Army Veteran and former Commander of UMAVA;
- Jorge Zepeda, Finance and Real Estate Executive
Others volunteered but unfortunately could not make it because the time commitment was changed from about 11am-3pm, which conflicted with prior commitments and this included:
- Art Pedroza, OJ Editor/Blogger;
- Marco Arcadia (former US Marine) and Banking Executive;
- Josue Dominguez, Professional Organization leader and Insurance Professional;
- Patricia Figueroa, Finance and Real Estate Executive; and
- Joseph Yanez, Chemical Engineer Professional
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VOLUNTEERS NEEDED:
You can have a huge impact on the live of a young boy or girl by volunteering about 2-4 times a month for about 2-6 hours per time!!!!
A Big Brother or Big Sister acts as a friend and mentor in the life of a child in need, or Little Brother or Little Sister, ages 6-16.
Orange County has a great for volunteer mentors, as there are 110,000 single parent households in Orange County, a quarter of which are living in poverty. Specifically, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County needs male volunteers to become Big Brothers as 70% of the children waiting for a “Big” are boys, yet only three in every 10 inquiries about volunteering come from men. For information, visit www.bigbrooc.org or call (714) 544-7773.
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Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS of OC) is the oldest, largest and most effective youth mentoring organization in the United States.
BBBS of OC has been the leader in one-to-one youth service for more than a century, developing positive relationships that have a direct and lasting impact on the lives of young people. BBBS of OC has been serving children, ages 6 through 18, in communities across the country for over 50 years. BBBS of OC has roughly 300 children on the waiting list at any given time, so BBBS of OC needs YOUR participation to continue to make a difference.
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Volunteers must be: Enrollment Process consists of:
- At least 18 years of age Volunteer Application w/ References
- A resident of Orange County for at least one month In-Person Interview
- Employed at their current job for at least one month Background Check
- Willing to commit at least one year to the program DMV Record Check (except for Site-Based Programs)
- Driver’s License/Proof of Car Insurance
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Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County ’s Program Options:
Traditional Program. This is the signature program. A volunteer is matched one-to-one with a child – based upon personality, interests & hobbies, and geographic location. The children in this program are between the ages of 6 – 16. As a participant in the Traditional Program the volunteer is expected to coordinate between 2 and 4 outings per month and is given the freedom to plan activities – going to the beach, playing ball, riding bikes, etc.
B.I.G. Impact: Like the Traditional Program, a volunteer is matched one-to-one with a child. However, the activities in these programs are coordinated by BBBS staff and take place within a group setting. B.I.G. Impact gets together about 8 Saturdays per year. Volunteers are also asked to make a point to spend time together outside of the group events as well.
These programs entail a one hour a week commitment during the work week. Big Brothers/Sisters are matched one-to-one to a Little Sister/Brother and they see each other at a school or site. Time can be spent helping the child with homework or just hanging out. Program sites include Costa Mesa , San Juan Capistrano , and Santa Ana . Additionally, Big Brothers Big Sisters has a “High School Bigs” program where students from designated high schools serve as mentors to students in select elementary schools.
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CLICK HERE FOR RESULTS/Outcomes – STATISTICS.
Visit us on the web: www.bigbrooc.org
or Call 714-544-7773 ext 233
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posted by: Francisco J. Barragan
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