Madison House’s Big Siblings program is kicking off a new partnership with the Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Central Blue Ridge.
Big Brothers Big Sisters matches local kids with mentors for a couple hours each week, and many stay engaged as pen pals through the summer.
There are typically 100 to 150 children on the waitlist at any given time.
The new partnership with Madison House aims to help more than 100 children move off the waitlist and be paired with a mentor, said Executive Director Jackie Bright.
“It just seemed to make sense as we both run very similar programs,” Bright said. “We are coming together to execute an advanced big sibling program.”
Big Brothers Big Sisters casts a wide net, Bright said, working to serve children who need help with school or are struggling with bullying or gang activity. Many of the children who participate in the program have family members who are incarcerated, are living in poverty or come from single parent households in Charlottesville and Albemarle County.
Madison House will continue to run Bridging the Gap, a program to mentor refugee children in Charlottesville.
The idea for collaboration came about early last spring semester, said Caroline Vangsnes, Madison House Big Siblings head director.
“[Big Brothers Big Sisters] really wanted Big Siblings to have a ton of input, and they wanted leadership at Madison House” to be involved, Vangsnes said. “They didn’t want one organization to take over the other.”
Children will be matched by the volunteers at Madison House who will be working with guidance counselors at local schools. The program will offer enhanced training and professional support for mentors.
The application process will also include an interview and a background check to ensure the program draws “really committed volunteers,” Vangsnes said.
She also said she is confident the partnership will extend beyond the current academic year.
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