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Home > About Us
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> Community-Based Programs
COMMUNITY-BASED MENTORING PROGRAMS
For more information, email csp@bigsnyc.org.
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The foundation of our organization
for a century, this program matches
low-income youth from single-parent
homes, between the ages of 7 and
18, with a carefully screened adult
role model 21 years or older. Bigs
meet with youngsters at least every
other week for four hours and
maintain regular phone contact.
Each one-to-one relationship is
also supported by a social worker
responsible for supervision.
In addition to BBBS of NYC's
headquarters at 223 East 30th Street
in Manhattan and an office at 245 Fifth
Avenue, the agency has Community
Mentoring Program offices located in
Jamaica, Queens, the South Bronx,
Brooklyn, and Chinatown.
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The Brooklyn, Bronx and Queens
Borough Mentoring Programs were
established and designed to bring more
caring adults into the lives of youth
living within these communities, and
to actively recruit volunteers locally.
These programs are community-based
models where matches meet twice
per month for about four hours, plan
their own activities, have access to
community services, and participate
in recreational and educational
activities. The matches are supervised
by professional social workers who
oversee the relationships.
Volunteers may reside in all boroughs but
must be willing to travel to The Brooklyn, Bronx or
Queens to meet Littles
who may not travel alone. Matches
can spend time in any borough and
are not required to remain within their
own neighborhoods.
BROOKLYN BOROUGH PROGRAM click here for details.
BRONX BOROUGH PROGRAM click here for details.
QUEENS BOROUGH PROGRAM click here for details.
BBBS of NYC Brooklyn Office
441 Fourth Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11215
Tel: 212-686-2042 ext. 265
BBBS of NYC Bronx Office
555 Bergen Avenue, 4th Floor
Bronx, NY 10455
Tel: 718-742-8530
BBBS of NYC Queens Office
89-56 162nd Street, 2nd Floor
Jamaica, NY 11432
Tel: 718-297-7160
Fax: 718-657-7137
Queens
Map
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Based on the founding initiative of
reaching out to youth involved in the
court system, the goal and approach
of this primary intervention/prevention
program is to combine intense case
management services and one-to-one
mentoring to help troubled youth before
they commit more serious crimes and
before it's too late to turn them around.
Participants in the program have shown
a significantly lower rate of re-arrest as
well as improved school attendance
and grades.
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September 11th Mentoring Initiative
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This program was initiated to provide
long-term help for children who lost a
parent or close relative in the World
Trade Center attacks on September
11th. Research has shown that for this
population, having a stable adult in
a child's life who provides consistent
friendship, reassurance, safety and
security is the number one factor in
preventing the development of serious
problems, such as Post Traumatic
Stress Disorder. In addition to the
youths' one-to-one matches with their
mentors, group outings and agency
events have proven to be a valuable
network of support for the families and
volunteers in this program.
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Developed in response to the tragedy on
September 11th, this program matches
youth who have lost a firefighter parent
in the line of duty with mentors who are
active or retired firefighters, relatives of
individuals in the FDNY, or work for the
FDNY. In addition to the one-to-one
outings, matches participate in group
activities organized by Kids Connections,
an FDNY-run program that supports
bereaved fire department families
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The goal is to help immigrant youth
overcome the unique obstacles they may
face while adjusting to a new culture,
language and customs. These youngsters'
feelings of loneliness, isolation and
prejudice as well as the stress of
negotiating between their cultural
traditions and the urban American
environment are addressed through
relationships with their mentors.
Participants in the program represent
over 55 nations and 34 languages.
As an outgrowth, this program also
launched its "Chinese Initiative" in 2004,
which matches first-generation Chinese
immigrant children with mentors, many
of whom are immigrants themselves.
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Female mentors serve as additional
sources of support and friendship
for pregnant and parenting teenage
girls citywide. Through outings focused
on bonding, positive parenting and
relationship building, the teenage
mothers' feelings of self-worth increase
and they learn to become more self sufficient.
Social workers also provide
referrals to critical parenting-related
services to address immediate financial,
nutritional, childcare, housing, health
care and educational needs. Research
indicates that the young mothers in the
program have gained the skills and
knowledge to reduce repeat pregnancies
and have shown marked improvement
in completing their educational and
vocational goals.
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Using the proven one-to-one mentoring
model, this program matches youth
with disabilities and chronic illnesses with
mentors who show a commitment to
working with this vulnerable population.
Mentors receive specialized training
on disabilities and how to provide
empowering support to their Littles.
Additionally, the social worker runs
group activities to provide matches
with fun and positive challenges while
providing vital support services to parents
and siblings. Through participation in
this program, youth gain the tools
necessary to overcome the effects of
social and educational exclusion they
so often face in their lives.
Specific program criteria:
- Children can become part of the program from the ages of 7-17 and
can stay matched until their 19th birthday.
- Disabilities can include: physical or learning disabilities, chronic/acute
illness (i.e. Sickle Cell Disease), developmental or speech delays, and mild mental
retardation.
- Child must be able to complete basic daily living tasks by him/herself,
such as using the bathroom, eating, etc.
- If the primary diagnosis is ADHD, there must be an additional diagnosis
from the child's treating psychiatrist such as a learning disability.
- The child must be able to relate and engage sufficiently so that he/she
can benefit from a one-to-one mentoring relationship.
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Created in 2003, this program services
a wide-range of youth involved in the
foster care system who are currently in
a foster home or group home, as well
as those transitioning out of foster care.
Many face significant challenges, such
as: academic struggles, employment
difficulties, health problems, and legal
troubles. With the support of an adult
mentor who provides a consistent positive
presence in their lives and assists them
in setting and meeting educational and
vocational goals, the program helps to
ensure a secure future for the Littles.
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This specialized, preventative program
provides services for children between
the ages of 5-18 who have an incarcerated
parent, sibling or other family member
residing in the household at the time of
arrest. Parental arrest and confinement
often lead to stress, stigmatization,
and separation problems, which may
be compounded by existing poverty,
multiple caregivers, and prior separations.
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Developed in 2008 in response to the
New York City school dropout crisis among
minority students, the Education Initiative
is designed to support Littles by helping
them set and achieve educational
goals with the team support of their Bigs,
parents, BBBS of NYC social workers,
and in-house education specialists.
Our education specialists advocate
on behalf of Littles to help them learn
about and gain acceptance into locally
available programs, while also identifying
available resources to assist our youth
with academic needs that range from
tutoring programs to SAT prep courses.
In addition, they provide educationally-themed
workshops on topics of interest
to Littles, for their parents, and for
Bigs interested in helping Littles
succeed academically.
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