Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ventura County

Hey Guys! I wanted to take a minute to give a shout out to one of my favorite charites, and one that I have been honored to be a part of for the last ___ years.

Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Ventura County is a volunteer mentoring program for youth ages 6-17 throughout Ventura County. There are three main programs where you can make a difference:

Traditional Mentoring Program (Community-Based)
Bigs (Adults) and Littles (kids) set their own schedules and meet up on a consistent basis. Bigs open the doors to new social, educational, and recreational experiences. One-to-one mentoring between a child facing adversity and a Big volunteer can improve the trajectory of a child's life. Not every meeting needs to be a huge celebration- it's simply spending time together and being present in this kids lives.

Lunch Buddies (Site-Based)
As a Lunch Buddy, Bigs are matched with a child at their choice of Chavez (Oxnard) or Montalvo (Ventura) Elementary Schools. Over the course of the school year, Bigs spend lunch recess with their Little each week on the day that best fits their schedule.

Foster Youth Mentoring Program (Community-Based)
A Foster Youth Mentor can make a difference in the life of a child who lives in a group home, foster home, kinship care, or treatment facility by sharing the simple things that many take for granted. Foster Youth Mentoring helps provide foster youth with the life skills and emotional support needed to successfully transition into independent living.

This organization has made such a difference in my life, and I don't know who I would be if I hadn't met my little bro. Please consider donating your time to such a worth-while program.