Lee Erwin reporting
lerwin@clarksvillenow.com
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) of Clarksville is looking for a few good men. Well, men to be big brothers that is.
Amy Carroll, Executive Director of BBBS, talked about the problem of not enough men to fill the need in the community. “We do have a need for big brothers, we always have more boys on our waiting list than we have men enrolled to be big brothers in our program,” said Carroll.
Carroll added that a commitment to the program by a big brother only requires 4 to 8 hours a month spent with a youngster ages 6 to 14. The big brother is encouraged to include a little brother into their daily activities or hobbies. It also doesn’t involve a lot of money because the time a big brother spends with his little brother is more important.
The staff at BBBS can also offer help with ideas when it comes to how to spend time together. Carroll said the organization receives donations of free tickets and passes to many local events and those can be used as a way for the pair to enjoy themselves.
One very well known resident of Clarksville-Montgomery County, Sheriff John Fuson, was a little brother when he was younger. Fuson said he was growing up in a single parent home with his two brothers and sister when his mother decided to become a part of the mentoring program and it had a big impact on his life.
“Just gaining that positive influence from another male figure you can look back on all of that and feel that you’ve pulled at least one lesson away and I pulled several away. When you see how other people operate you kind of start your own thought processes on how you want to act and behave and what you want to become,” said Fuson.
To be a big brother you must be 18 or over and take part in an interview so the organization can become more familiar with your background, your history, your hobbies and interests. There is also a background check and reference check to make sure each person applying to be a big brother is appropriate to work with kids.
Big Brothers Big Sisters also offers training at the beginning of the pairing with a little brother or little sister and support throughout the time the big brother and little brother or big sister and little sister are together.
For more information about becoming a big brother or big sister call BBBS, a United Way of the Greater Clarksville Region agency, at 931-647-1418, visit their website at www.bbbsclarksville.org or on facebook at big brothers big sisters of Clarksville.