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BE SOMEONE WHO MATTERS TO SOMEONE WHO MATTERS National Mentoring Month, held during the month of January for hometowns. the past 14 years, provides an opportunity to celebrate and honor the importance of quality mentoring programs and the role that current Statistics show that children who are mentored in a Big Brothers Big mentors fill while also recruiting new supporters and volunteers. Sisters program are: 75% more likely to receive a four-year degree Throughout January, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Mississippi 72% more satisfied with their relationship with friends, family Valley, along with our Bigs and and spouses community partners, focuses on 77% set higher goals for raising awareness regarding themselves mentoring as a critical component 84% learn how to help others to solutions addressing community 52% are more likely to volunteer challenges such as low graduation in their community or rates, juvenile crime, and workforce hold leadership roles in development. an organization The mentoring effect HELP US SPREAD THE WORD THIS strengthens communities. Young MONTH AND EVERY MONTH! people participating in quality mentoring programs are more likely We appreciate all the time that to do better in school and have our volunteers give to their Littles, aspirations for college and a career; but also ask a big favor. Tell a they’re more equipped to make responsible decisions and model good friend about your experiences as a Big Brother or Big Sister and behavior; and they’re more likely to be productive and engaged encourage them to inquire and find out more about becoming a Big citizens - all key factors in building stronger communities. themselves. We have printed a thousand “Become a Big” business cards that you can give to co-workers, friends and family members. As a community, we can’t afford to leave mentoring to chance. We will be giving you these cards over the next few months at Match Recent research by MENTOR: The National Mentoring Activities, special events, and fundraisers. If you’d like us to mail you Partnership found that one in three young people across the the cards, let us know. Or, stop at the offices and pick some up. country will grow up without a mentor. Be someone who matters to someone who matters. Because you have chosen to be a Big in our community, you are Being in a mentoring relationship with a young person contributing to these positive youth outcomes. During National provides a shared opportunity for learning and growth. In Mentoring Month, we say, wholeheartedly, THANK YOU! Without our fact, many mentors say that they are surprised and grateful dedicated and committed Big Brothers and Big Sisters, thousands of for the experience because it is more rewarding than they children would not have the positive role models that are so crucial in imagined. helping them become successful adults. Mentors come from all walks of life and all sectors of our community- exposing their mentees to new ideas, new experiences, and new interests that get them involved in positive activities in their
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
JANUARY—NATIONAL MENTORING MONTH JOB READINESS PROGRAM KICKS OFF! CAREER NAVIGATORS—SCOTT C.C. ACTIVITY IDEA—DECORATE MUGS AND PLATES BIGS’ NIGHT OUT— OUT—CLUBHOUSE MATCH ANNIVERSARIES—JANUARY PUTT-A-ROUND—10th ANNIVERSARY! SOUTHERN MENTORING CENTER—MACOMB
RAVE: KATIE NELSON AND NICOLE WHITESIDE COUNTY UPDATE DEAR MATCH COACH: FINANCIAL NEEDS SIGN UP FOR SNOWBIRD SOFTBALL! GET TO KNOW: BETH CLARK BUY TEESHIRTS FOR THE NEW YEAR! COMMUNITY CALENDAR—JANUARY
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JOB READINESS: SESSIONS BEGIN IN JANUARY! SIGN UP! Job Readiness is open to all Littles who are in 8th grade - 12th grade. If your Little aspires to have a summer job, then this is the program for them! All participants will attend two workshops, Coaching Session and Interview Night along with a Job Shadow of their choice and a goal session. It may seem like a lot of work but it will be fun, interactive and helpful in getting your Little a summer job. If they complete the program with BBBS and are age-eligible, they will be eligible for a Youth Corps job! This summer job will provide a stipend and an additional educational award to be used in the future towards education.
RSVP for the Job Readiness workshops ASAP! Workshop 1: Jan. 31, 8:30-12:00 Scott Community College on Fairmount St., Davenport. Workshop 2: Feb. 14, 8:30-12:00 Scott Community College on Fairmount St., Davenport Resume Coaching Session: Feb. 25 at BBBS offices, 130 W. Main St., Davenport Interview Night: March 11 at BBBS office, 130 W. Main St., Davenport
To register for Job Readiness contact: Kim at kaboyure@bbbs-mv.org or call 563-323-8006.
NOTE: if your Little took the Job Readiness program last year, and has since turned 16, you are eligible for a Youth Corp job. Please contact Kim Aboyure at kaboyure@bbbs-mv.org. A 2-hour refresher seminar will be needed.
Presented by:
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VOLUME 7, ISSUE 1
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ACTIVITY IDEA: DECORATED PLATES AND MUGS! For a fun and easy craft with your Little, just grab some cheap, ceramic plates or mugs from a discount store and some Sharpies and start drawing! Create fun and funky designs and then just pop them in a 350* oven for 30 minutes to set. You’ll love your new, personalized dish! Just remember that it is not dishwasher-safe!
Join us for a fun Bigs’ Night Out!
Presented by:
Tuesday, January 13th; 5:30—7:30 pm THE CLUBHOUSE 2501 53rd Ave., Bettendorf, IA
Appetizers will be provided as well as fun competitions on the golf simulators. Bring a friend! RSVP from the evite that will be emailed to you soon!
MATCH ANNIVERSARIES IN JANUARY: CONGRATS! Little’s First Name
Big’s First Name
Big’s Last Name
Years Matched
Larissa
Alisha
Welvaert
Elisa
Stephanie
Hasakis
Little’s First Name
Big’s First Name
Big’s Last Name
Years Matched
1
George
Rob
Pearson
3
1
Nathan
Tom
Cassidy
3
Joe
Witter
3
Ryan
Nick
Tyger
1
Colin
Erskin
Darren
Clerkin
1
Courtney
Kathy
Doyle
3
Isabella
Lindsay
Thul
1
Alexa
Susan
Wilson
3
Ashton
Christopher
Brooks
1
Ronnie
Marie
Donaldson
3
Clever
Sheila
Guse
3
Hannah
Sarah
Hackbarth
4
Renee
Julie
Landwehr
4
Aiden
Peter
Hoft
4
Preston
Blake
Schaeffer
4
Madison
Louise
Johnson
1
Aevion
Joseph
Wonio
1
Yahzeonia
Karen
Ames
1
Dominick
Derrick
Anderson
1
Happy Match Anniversary
Nacari
Kristen
Decker
2
Jennifer
Maya
Webb
2
Trista
Meghan
Enright
4
Nyla
Marion
Zakrzewski
2
Alex
Kirk
Denison
5
Sylvia
Toni
Gasper
2
Brandon
Rick
Brammer
6
3
Krysta
Monica
Mesa
8
Dominick
Daniel
Matthies
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10th Annual
Putt-A-Round January 20—23, 2015 Great River Hall, RiverCenter, Davenport, IA
+ lf 24 -Go ni les! the i M o in ! H st st e e rg idw a L M
Match Night Tues. January 20, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Contact your Match Coach to sign up!
Presented by:
Free food Live DJ! Mingle at the Clubhouse! Great raffles! Cash Bar (Wed.—Fri.)
Take a chance at the Northwest Bank & Trust BIG PUTT and win $10,000! Have your team’s photo taken at the Active Endeavors photo op booth!
Register on line at:
www.bbbsmv.org
Register your team of 4 by January 9 and be entered into a raffle to win a FREE Lexus weekend for four in Chicago! Two rooms, event tickets, dinner and the use of a Lexus all weekend! The more teams you recruit to play at Putt-A-Round, the more times you will be entered!
563-323-8006 Just $100 per team of 4!
Questions? Email Kayla at kkiesey@bbbs-
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HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM THE SOUTHERN MENTORING CENTER Our Christmas party was on Sunday, December 7th, and we had a marvelous time! Balloons, face painting, fresh cookies, Santa, a real band (of WIU music professors), a uniformed police officer, gifts for every child. It could not have been any better!
Board member Lauren Suprenant dazzled with her balloon-twisting skills, the Lamoine Valley Brass Quintet serenaded us with beautiful Christmas music, and Charlene Kenney donated 50 stuffed animals as Christmas gifts for the for the Littles.
30 WIU athletes did all of the work, and we very much appreciate their unwavering support of the BBBS program. Karissa Kouchis, WIU student and softball player, took photos for us. BIG thanks! Have a look:
AND we made exactly 100 “anonymous” Christmas cards for the nice people at Lafayette Square. BBBS is very proud of everyone who participated in our annual gift to the Macomb community! Many thanks to Woodforest National Bank for their extremely generous donation to fund our winter soiree! WE NEED TO SAY A HUGE THANK-YOU TO LYDIA SMITH, WIU STUDENT AND TRACK STAR, FOR FACILITATING AND COORDINATING EVERYTHING.
BBBS Macomb wishes you and yours the happiest of holidays, and only the best in 2015!
To inquire about becoming a Big in Macomb call Pete at 309-837-5437
RAVE: MATCHED FOR 5 YEARS! Congratulations to Katie Nelson and Nicole! After being matched since 2009, they are graduating from the BBBS program, with Nicole turning 18! You’ve come a long way, Nicole, and we know you and Katie will be forever friends!
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WHITESIDE COUNTY WISHES YOU A HAPPY NEW YEAR! For those of you who have not had the opportunity to meet our newest member of the team, please welcome Nicki! She has been serving with our office as an AmeriCorps member for the last two months and has been a tremendous help.
December 2015: Holiday Party Big Brothers Big Sisters of Whiteside County had a great turnout at our holiday party of the year! A huge thank you to all of our volunteers that helped, as well as the Candlelight, Pizza Hut, the Flour Shop and Paone’s Blackhawk Lanes. Without all of these people and businesses we would not have had such a successful event!
Name: Nicki Spears AmeriCorps Position: Customer Relations Specialist Education and Background: I am currently entering my final semester at Sauk Valley Community College. I will be graduating in May 2015 with my Associates in Applied Science for Human Services/ Social Work. My background is in Business, but I am transitioning into a career in Human Services.
Next Match Activity:
Where am I from?: I was born in Clinton, Iowa and have lived in the Sauk Valley Area since 1995.
Our next match activity will take place in March or April of 2015. We are currently throwing around some ideas such as an indoor pool party at the YMCA, a movie night at the Sterling Movie Theatre, or a QC Mallards Hockey Game. More details to come!
Why am I serving?: I am serving to help others, as it has always been my drive; as well as to gain experience in the Human Services field. What am I looking forward to this year?: I am looking forward to being a college graduate, and to all the experiences that I will be a part of with Big Brothers Big Sisters.
Happy Holidays: Nicki and I thank all of our volunteers, parents, community members, and school liaisons for helping us through the transition of opening an office in Whiteside County! It has been a great experience! Have a happy and safe holiday. Sincerely, Courtney Jones & Nicki Spears
Welcome to BBBS Nicki!
A Shout Out to JC Penney! JC Penney of Sterling was kind enough to donate 10 gifts to Littles in the Big Brothers Big Program of Whiteside County. In addition, they sponsored a family who really needed the extra support this Christmas. Thank you JC Penney’s for all that you do!
DEAR MATCH COACH: FAMILY FINANCIAL NEEDS My Little’s mom let me know about a financial need that they have. I would love to help them out, but I’m not sure if I should or not. What should I do? Dear Big, I understand that your heart is in the right place in wanting to help your Little’s family but it is not a good idea to get involved in their financial situation. If you open your wallet once you could open yourself up to future expenses. Remember that you do a lot for your Little’s family just by spending time with your Little.
If you let us know about the particular need, we may be able to help by referring them to a resource. Scott County Kids is a non-profit that works to help connect families to resources. Family Community Resource Center in Rock Island County and in Whiteside County both have similar programs to get families in touch with resources they need to make ends meet. Get in contact with your match coach to see what BBBS can do to help! Sincerely, Your Match Coach
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SIGN YOUR SNOW BIRD TEAM UP TODAY! Bigs interested in playing on the BBBS Team contact Jaime! jkeller@bbbs-mv.org
5 1 0 2
39th Annual
Get your team ready and register for the 39th Annual Snow Bird Softball Classic! Co-Ed Tournament, Fri.—Sun., January 23-25 (DEADLINE: Jan. 21) Men’s Tournament, Fri.-Sun., February 6-8 (DEADLINE: Feb. 4)
TO REGISTER CALL: Dugout Sports Complex 563-391-4211 Presented by:
GET TO KNOW BBBS STAFF: BETH CLARK Name: Beth Clark Position: Development & Marketing Director How long have you been working for BBBS? I began by serving on the Board of Directors in 2006, then accepted the Director of Development position in 2010. What are you most looking forward to about being at BBBS? I love to find new ways to raise funds and volunteers for BBBS. We just established a new “Connectors Committee” and I look forward to working with them to connect me with new business supporters. What do you like to do when you’re not working? I like spending time with my husband, Bruce (who is a Big Brother) and with our two sons and our black Lab, Lucy. Also like spending time with a great group of friends! What advice would you give a child who is in our program? A Big Brother or Big Sister can be a great friend to you. Be open to the things they want to do with you and the places they want to take you in our community. Listen to their guidance and work hard in school. A good education will take you places!
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COMMUNITY CALENDAR—JANUARY 2015 SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
28
29
30
31
1
2
3 Magician LIVE! Home Depot DYI
4
5
6
7 TEEN GAMING
8 TWEEN GAMING
9 BALD EAGLE
NIGHT
NIGHT
10 BALD EAGLE
DAYS
DAYS ROLE PLAYING GROUP
11 BALD EAGLE
12
13
DAYS
14 TEEN GAMING
BIGS’ NIGHT OUT AT CLUBHOUSE 18
19
20 MATCH NIGHT AT PUTT-A-ROUND
25
Co-Ed Snowbird Softball
26
27
15 TWEEN GAMING 16
17
NIGHT
NIGHT
KIDS CRAFT DAY
Career Navigators Scott Comm. College
21 TEEN GAMING NIGHT
22 TWEEN GAMING 23 NIGHT
10TH ANNUAL PUTT-A-ROUND! RIVERCENTER!
28 TEEN GAMING NIGHT
29 TWEEN GAMING 30 NIGHT
Co-Ed Snowbird Softball
24
Co-Ed Snowbird Softball
31 Job Readiness Workshop
OUT AND ABOUT IN THE COMMUNITY! JANUARY Magician David Casas LIVE – January 3. The Establishment Theatre, 220 19th Street, Rock Island, IL. The Magic of David Casas LIVE! Starring Magician David Casas. This is an all ages family friendly show. Witness David's award winning bird act, clean comedy magic, and a lot of audience interaction! Special Guest Opening Act - World Class Juggler Brian Pankey! 563-726-1749 Home Depot- Do it Yourself Workshop – January 3, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Come learn how to build a mini sled. FREE hands-on workshops; designed for children ages 5 – 12. All kids get to keep their craft, receive a FREE certificate of achievement, a Workshop Apron, and a commemorative pin while supplies last. Children must be present at the store to participate in the workshop and receive the kit, apron and pin. Kids Workshop activities are scheduled on a first come/first served basis. Please do not arrive before 9:00 a.m. Thank you for registering online to help us better plan our craft kit quantities needed Teen Gaming Night- January 7, 14, 21, 28 at 5 p.m. Fairmont Library, Davenport, IA. Try out new games and gaming systems! We have PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, and Wii U for you to try, along with laptops for online gaming. Tabletop gamers are invited to come take part in Dungeons & Dragons or Yu-Gi-Oh card games.
Tween (age 10-12) Gaming Night- January 8, 15, 22, 29 at 5 p.m., Fairmont Library, Davenport, IA. Try out popular video games on our big screen! Tweens are invited to come snack on popcorn and play games on the Wii U or Xbox 360. Bald Eagle Days at the QC Expo Center – January 9-11. Celebrate the return of the bald eagle, now off the endangered list! Watch live birds of prey, bald eagles, owls and falcons fly over the audience. Enjoy more than 100 display and information booths. Cost is $5 dollars for adults and $1 for kids 6-16. Hours: Friday 4 p.m. - 8 p.m. Saturday 10 a.m. - 8 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Role Playing Group – Sat., Jan. 10th, 1 p.m. FREE. Bettendorf Library at This group, comprised mostly of teens, plays games such as Dungeons & Dragons or BattleTech. Participants are invited to join a game already in progress, or bring your own group to join. Kid’s Craft Day – January 17, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The John Deere Pavilion, 1400 River Dr. in downtown Moline, Ill., hosts a free Kid’s Craft Day on the third Saturday of the month from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visit the website for the craft theme. www.johndeereattractions.com