Big Brothers Big Sisters of Oklahoma and the Chickasaw Nation are seeking volunteers who wish to make a positive impact on a child’s life by becoming a mentor.

The tribe has recently partnered with the non-profit group to launch a mentoring program for at-risk Native American children ages 9 to 16 in the Ada area.

“We are pleased to work with this organization because we know what a positive difference mentors often make in the life of a young person,” said Chickasaw Nation Governor Bill Anoatubby. “Those individuals who are willing to give of their time to help a young person succeed deserve our support.”

Big Brothers Big Sisters carefully pairs children with screened volunteer mentors and monitors and supports them in one-to-one mentoring matches.

The goal is to find 30 matches in the Ada area, said Leslie Withers, Big Brothers Big Sisters program specialist.

Mentors volunteer to spend at least one or two hours each week providing one-on-one interaction with an at-risk student.

“A positive role model can help an at-risk child thrive, increase their self-confidence and academic performance,” said Withers.

Mentors must be18 years of age to participate and must pass a background check.

For more information contact, Leslie Withers, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Oklahoma, 314 S. Broadway, Suite 206 A, Ada, telephone 580-320-7175, or visit www.bbbsok.org.

About Big Brothers Big Sisters
For more than 100 years, Big Brothers Big Sisters has operated under the belief that every child has the ability to succeed and thrive in life. As the nation’s largest donor and volunteer supported mentoring network, Big Brothers Big Sisters’ mission is to provide children facing adversity with strong and enduring, professionally supported one-to-one relationships that change their lives for the better, forever. Most children served by Big Brothers Big Sisters are in single-parent and low-income families or households where a parent is incarcerated. Headquartered in Philadelphia with a network of about 370 agencies across the country, Big Brothers Big Sisters serves nearly 250,000 children.