Children must be between the ages of 6 and 12 to be enrolled and matched in our programs. We serve children facing adversity, which looks different from case to case. Many of the children we serve come from single-parent families, have incarcerated family members or have experienced loss or trauma in their lives. Not sure if your child will qualify? Call 508-752-7868 and ask!
Littles usually meet with their Bigs for 1-2 hours per week for a minimum commitment of 4 hours per month. We ask our volunteers to commit to the program for at least one year, however most matches stay together for much longer!
The Interview/Match Support Specialist matches Bigs and Littles based on factors such as shared interests, similar personality traits and location. For example, if a child loves art and creative activities, we will do our best to match them with a volunteer who shares these interests. We conduct in-depth interviews on youth, volunteers and parents to ensure the matching process is intentional and based on the preferences of all parties.
An Interview/Match Support Specialist will make the first introduction between the child, family and their new Big. The child will then begin to meet with their Big regularly to do a range of activities based on match preferences and interests. Some examples of match activities include reading together, working on homework, visiting a museum, playing in a park, attending sporting events and much more. The Interview/Match Support Specialist keeps track of the match's progress through periodic check-ins called Match Support. When your Interview/Match Support Specialist contacts you for Match Support, you must respond as soon as possible. This is our way of ensuring your match is safe, well-supported and making healthy progress together.
All volunteers undergo a comprehensive screening process before we match them with children in our programs. Each volunteer must provide 2-3 references, background checks, and share detailed accounts of their home lives and personal information before we match them with Littles. Child safety is always our highest priority.