by Julie Butler
When parents and guardians are approached about raising children, they often say, “It takes a village.” Usually, the village in question is perceived to be other family members or friends. However, that is not always the case. Sometimes, that village comes in the form of mentoring, and especially for the Jacksonville community: Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) of Central Illinois. At BBBS of Central Illinois, director Brian Ganz works diligently to ensure that children in need are matched with mentors who can be the extra support system to them.
Ganz took the position of program director after he interned as an undergraduate student for the original BBBS program in 1994. After graduating from college, a position opened within the nonprofit and he knew immediately that he desired the position. According to Ganz, BBBS was a place where he enjoyed working because the work was fun and important. It meant a lot to him that he was working for a program that valued helping others. In 2008, though, Ganz left BBBS and entered the insurance industry. Several years later, upon hearing that the BBBS program where he worked closed, he decided to take a chance and try to build the program back into the Jacksonville community. Today, he is proud of what he has been able to implement along with the help from his mentors and the volunteers that help the program.
Ganz explained that BBBS of Central Illinois is so important to the Jacksonville community because children need someone in their life other than their immediate family to believe in them. The mentors at BBBS try to help their “littles,” a term used fondly for the kids, to see outside their box of reality and realize that anything is achievable if they put their mind to it. This program is specifically beneficial to children that come from low-income families, as it helps them broaden their horizons and instills in them a hope for a bigger, better future. At BBBS, students receive one-on-one mentoring from their mentor and usually meet with them during their school lunch hour. Children will often spend time with their mentor outside of school hour as well. Ganz explained that the pairs often participate in community-based activities and that mentors can spend anywhere between two to four hours with the children outside of their home.
One experience that always stood out to Ganz during his time with the program was when a 7-year-old child was matched with a volunteer through the program; the child’s mother suffered from Lupus and was very ill, but the child never let that stop him from being energetic and present for his mentor meetings. According to Ganz, this child had a fire and passion to live a better life. In the program, the child was matched to his mentor over the course of seven years. Today, that child has become an accomplished adult living in California with his own family and owns a business. Ganz says moments like this are important to the program because it shows how children truly can do better when they have someone else in their corner rooting for them.
In the future, Ganz hopes that Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Illinois can get back to serving over 100 children in the community. In order for this to become a reality, more volunteers are needed so that every child can find their perfect match. It is important to Ganz that parents and people interested in volunteering know that participation is welcomed. To reach out about getting your child involved or volunteering to mentor, the organization can be reached at 217-243-3821, or online at www.bbbscil.org.
