Big Steps for Big Brothers Big Sisters
Emma Neely
Staff Writer
Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) is a club here at Cumberland Valley where high schoolers get matched up with elementary school kids who have a difficult home life. The whole objective of Big Brothers Big Sisters is to help out children and shine a light on the positives in their lives.
Junior Jasmine Chhoeung said, "Our goal of big brothers big sisters is to change the lives of these kids and hopefully change their lives for the better so that they can become good, trustworthy, human beings one day."
BBBS had their first official meeting with their littles on October 2nd. Junior Bruklyn Cooper said, "We just started meeting with our littles up at Silver Spring, so right now we're just trying to get to know each other, and catch up on how our summers have been."
BBBS works with Silver Spring Elementary students because of proximity. Students at the other elementary schools in the district are offered other helpful and caring programs.
BBBS advisors carefully interview each candidate and match them up to the perfect little for them. It takes some time to become a big, since the leaders want the perfect matches for the littles.
Cooper said, "There is an application process. You have to get lots of recommendations from teachers and family members and service coordinators, and after that you're interviewed and they help you to be matched with a little that would most suit you."
Once an applicant is chosen as a Big, the applicant must truly care for their little.
The responsibilities of Bigs include, "...making sure that both the physical and mental health, and emotional status of our littles is good and we are just supposed to be there for them, and be a good listener and not take the time for ourselves, but to spend that time focusing on them, and giving them compassion and really trying to help them in any way that we can," Cooper said.
Some past events led by BBBS would be, "...many bowling events with our littles." Chhoeung said. For future events this year BBBS is planning on, "...continuing that tradition, and keeping those events." Chhoeung said.
Along with the multiple bowling events, Cooper said, "We are planning on doing some fun crafts and games and we would like to go outside and play gaga ball as weather permits."
Big Brothers Big Sisters meet every two to three weeks. These meetings occur on cycle day twos during second period. The Bigs travel on these days to Silver Spring Elementary School, which is located on CV's campus.
Cooper said, "Since we have silver spring on campus it's
easy to just walk up and thats something thats special for CV, so that we don't have to worry about traveling and if we wanted to, we could go up at anytime as long as we just coordinate it."
Even though these students may come from disadvantaged homes, that doesn't mean that it should affect their school life. These high schoolers and many others are making huge steps, and helping to change the lives of these children's lives one little at a time.