Children in Grande Prairie will have to wait a little longer to find mentors. There is currently a waiting list for those interested in having their child participate in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program in the city.
Executive Director Corinne Patterson says the waiting list is in place because the organization doesn’t have enough male volunteers to meet demand.
“I think almost 20 kids are on the waiting list. Of those on the list, the majority are boys and that’s because we have a really hard time getting male volunteers.”
The organization matches girls and boys between the ages of 6 and 16 with a role model that they can talk to and spend time with. They normally ask for a 6-8 hour commitment a month from their volunteers. Patterson says that because of the nature of the jobs in Grande Prairie it’s hard to attract male mentors.
“We try to be as flexible as possible with male volunteers because of their work schedules. A lot of them think that they can’t handle the time commitment but once we are able to chat with them and show them that we can work it out in whatever way works best for them and the child, they’re a little more open to coming on board.”
Each potential mentor must go through a screening process before they can be matched with a child and adults looking to volunteer must be over the age of 18.
To find out more information or to volunteer, visit their website.