Big Brothers Big Sisters Of Eastern Missouri

TO BUILD TRUSTING AND ENDURING RELATIONSHIPS THAT ENCOURAGE AND SUPPORT YOUNG PEOPLE.

MENTORING PROGRAM: BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS OF EASTERN MISSOURI IS THE OLDEST AND LARGEST ONE-TO-ONE MENTORING ORGANIZATION IN THE STATE OF MISSOURI. ADDITIONALLY, WITH MORE THAN 2,300 YOUNG PEOPLE SERVED ANNUALLY IN ONE-TO-ONE MENTORING RELATIONSHIPS, BBBSEMO IS THE 6TH LARGEST AFFILIATE IN THE BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS OF AMERICA (BBBS) FEDERATION OF 250+ AGENCIES.BEGINNING IN DECEMBER 2019, A NEW STRAIN OF THE CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) SPREAD WORLDWIDE AND CONTINUED SPREADING THROUGHOUT 2020. CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE OTHE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION DECLARED COVID-19 A PANDEMIC RESULTING IN FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND PRIVATE ENTITIES MANDATING VARIOUS RESTRICTIONS, INCLUDING TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS, RESTRICTIONS ON PUBLIC GATHERINGS, STAY-AT-HOME ORDERS AND QUARANTINING OF PEOPLE WHO MAY HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO THE VIRUS.THE BBBSEMO STAFF PIVOTED QUICKLY IN MARCH 2020 TO WORK REMOTELY AND CONTINUE PROGRAMMING IN A VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT. BBBSEMO COMMITTED TO BUILDING ON OUR LONG HISTORY OF MENTORING AND WRAPAROUND SUPPORT TO HELP OUR YOUTH AND FAMILIES REMAIN STABLE AND CONNECTED TO RESOURCES DURING - AND BEYOND - THE PANDEMIC. OVER THE PAST YEAR AND CONTINUING INTO 2021, WE HAVE DEMONSTRATED INCREDIBLE ADAPTABILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY, INCLUDING: PROVIDING UNINTERRUPTED SUPPORT - AT THE ONSET OF THE PANDEMIC, WE REORGANIZED OUR PROGRAM MODEL WITHIN 2 WEEKS. WE CREATED A CARE TEAM DEDICATED TO CALLING ALL 1,500+ LITTLES, FAMILIES, AND VOLUNTEERS TO ENSURE THEIR EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL WELLNESS. WE ALSO CREATED A RESOURCE TEAM COMMITTED TO HELPING FAMILIES ACCESS ESSENTIAL RESOURCES AND/OR NAVIGATE COMPLEX SOCIAL SYSTEMS (I.E. LOCATING HOUSING, FILING FOR UNEMPLOYMENT, ETC.). NEW WAYS OF OFFERING PROGRAMS - IN ADDITION TO PROVIDING ONGOING SUPPORT FOR LITTLES AND FAMILIES, WE TRANSITIONED NEARLY ALL PARTS OF THE VOLUNTEER/FAMILY EXPERIENCE TO VIRTUAL PLATFORMS (ZOOM, TEAMS, FACETIME, ETC.). WE ARE CONNECTING FAMILIES WITH ONLINE RESOURCES (I.E. COUNSELING, TUTORING, UTILITY BILL ASSISTANCE, ETC.) AND KEEPING THEM ENGAGED IN MENTORING. AFTER INITIALLY PAUSING THE MATCHING PROCESS, WE HIT OUR VOLUNTEER RECRUITMENT GOAL OF 610 APPLICATIONS IN EARLY DECEMBER AND RECEIVED 633 APPLICATIONS TOTAL. THIS INCLUDES, FOR THE FIRST TIME, HELPING VOLUNTEERS AND YOUTH ENROLL IN OUR PROGRAMS VIRTUALLY. SINCE AUGUST 2020, WE HAVE VIRTUALLY MATCHED 124 YOUTH IN MENTORING RELATIONSHIPS (60 MATCHES IN 2020; 64 MATCHES AS OF JUNE 2021).CONNECTING FAMILIES WITH RESOURCES - WE DEEPENED OUR RESOURCE AND NAVIGATION WORK BY ENGAGING COMMUNITY PARTNERS IN NEW WAYS, ENSURING A WARM HAND OFF FOR OUR FAMILIES. BETWEEN MARCH AND DECEMBER 2020, WE RECEIVED 620 REQUESTS FOR RESOURCES AND/OR TEMPORARY FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE. WE FULFILLED MORE THAN 85% OF THESE REQUESTS, PREVENTING 500+ INDIVIDUALS FROM BECOMING HOMELESS. THIS WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE DEEP RELATIONSHIPS WE HAVE BUILT WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS. FURTHER, WE SECURED FUNDING FROM VARIOUS SUPPORTERS - UNITED WAY, FOUNDATIONS, LOCAL GOVERNMENT, INDIVIDUALS - TO PROVIDE TEMPORARY FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE; A PORTION OF THOSE FUNDS EXTEND TO 2021.