Frequently Asked Questions by Mentors

Question: What activities should I do with my Little?
Answer: We supply mentors with pages of age appropriate, fun ideas on what to do with their Littles. Some examples of the type of activities you can share with your Littles might be:
On the adventurous side? Explore a new destination, hike, plan a scavenger hunt
Are you more quiet? Play some board or card games, walk, or visit the library, etc
How about sports oriented? Get game--basketball, baseball, football, skateboard, etc
Have an artistic flair? Express it by going to a play, creating crafts, painting, weaving, etc
In other words, the activities you share with your Little should match what each of you like and enjoy doing. Part of the fun of being a mentor is introducing your little to new activities, events, and interests. We encourage Littles to participate in selecting ideas and being responsible to plan some of the match activities.

Question: Does Big Brothers Big Sisters of Snohomish County (BBBS) have any events that matches can attend?
Answer: YES! Our most popular Agency sponsored events include our Annual Picnic in August, the Harvest Party in October, and the Holiday Party in December. Some of the other events we have offered include a dog show, Fishing Derby, and Aviation Day which included taking a airborne ride in a small aircraft! We also occasionally have service oriented opportunities for matches to participate in such as making Spring Baskets for local elderly residents and creating thank you notes and drawing pictures for people who have contributed time, treasure, and talents to our agency. Additionally, tickets are frequently donated to our agency for matches to enjoy events such as Aquasox baseball games, Mariner and Seahawk games, music concerts, and ice shows.

Question: What if my Little Brother or Sister doesn't like me?
Answer: Most of our children are extremely excited about getting matched with a Big Sister or Brother. Do they show that excitement or the gratitude they feel about getting matched and about their Bigs? Usually not. Children aren't known for their expressions of gratefulness or thankfulness. In fact at first, it may seem that they don't especially like you, or that they are very quiet, and/or like they aren't having a lot of fun. Please don't let this fool you! Children are hungry for positive adults in their lives. Some of them aren't sure quite how to behave around an adult friend. Some of them are cautious and self protective having possibly had adults abandon or frequently disappoint them. Your Little may not be ready to be instant friends and may want to wait to see if you're going to stick around. Relationship building takes time and Bigs need to take the lead in modeling consistency and how to be a friend.

It is rare that a match fails because a child doesn't like their mentor. Children tend to be very accepting and non-judgmental. They really want someone to just listen to their words and stories, to spend time with them, and to accept and appreciate who they are. They just want a friend.

Question: How long does it take to get matched?
Answer: Matching is a process that takes time and careful consideration. BBBS wants to match a volunteer with a child that is compatible not only geographically, but also a child that enjoys activities that you like to do, or personality traits that are complimentary to yours. Matches tend to be made more quickly in the School and Site-Based Programs than in the Community-Based Program. It can take as little as a few weeks or as long as two to three months. Keep in mind that volunteers don't usually have to wait as long as our children. Some of our kids on the wait list in the Community-Based Program have waited up to two years before being matched. This is because we have so many more children waiting for a Big Brother or Sister than we have volunteers.

Question: What if I don't know how to handle a situation with my Little or they ask me a question I don't know how to answer?
Answer: BBBS has a support system for you to answer any questions, concerns or issues that come up with your match. We will help you build a successful relationship with your Little. We have specially trained staff called Match Support Specialists who you can contact to get help and who keep in touch with you on a regular basis. Mentors receive an orientation, basic mentoring information and materials, attend a post-match training, and have on-going training opportunities on mentoring and related topics. You will not be alone in this match but have a whole staff available to you to help support you and assist in strengthening your relationship with your Little. Mentoring research demonstrates that the longer a match lasts, the more positive the impact is on the child. We want you to have a successful match and will do everything we can in order to achieve that outcome.

Question: What kind of children do you match with volunteers?
Answer: Our children range from age 6 to 14 years old and live in Snohomish County. The majority of kids in our program are from single parent homes and have some degree of financial challenge in their families. Many of our children may just need some extra attention, a little help with social skills or academics, and/or extra support during a family crisis like a death or divorce. Children with extremely serious emotional or behavioral issues are better served in other programs outside of our mentoring programs.

Question: How much time am I expected to spend with my Little Brother or Sister?
Answer: We have three different programs that afford our volunteers with all different levels of time commitment and a variety of geographical locations.

Community-based - Volunteers are required to meet with their Littles two to four
times per month for two to four hours per visit. Volunteers must commit to a minimum of six months in this program. The match participates in activities and events out in the community
getting parent permission and coordinating date and time with the Little's parent.
School-based - Mentors meet with their Littles ONLY on school grounds for ONE hour ONCE a week and agree to mentor throughout the school year. Matches are encouraged to go from year to year if both School Big and School Little agree. School-Based matches usually meet during the child's lunch/recess period. Locations are primarily at targeted elementary schools in the Everett and Edmonds school districts.
Site-based - Like the School-Based Program, volunteers are required to meet with their Littles one hour once a week at YMCA After School Child Care or other After School Care
Sites located at 7 different school locations throughout Snohomish County including Marysville, Mukilteo, Everett, and Edmonds. The Site-Based Program's meeting times are during After School hours usually from 3:30 to 6:00 PM.

Question: What do I have to do to become a Big Brother or Sister?
Answer:

Want to help a child
Enjoy having fun
Complete our Volunteer Application Packet
Schedule an orientation and interview with one our friendly and knowledgeable staff
Share with us what kind of a child you'd like to be matched with
Be able to make a time commitment and agree to consistent visits with your Little
Agree to attend and participate in a mentor training class

Volunteer! volunteer@bbbs-snoco.org with your name, phone, city and zip.