Supporter Spotlight: Dan Ingham

Volunteers get involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters for a variety of reasons.  For Big Brother Dan Ingham, it was a way for a new-comer to put down roots.  “I was fairly new to the Waco community and I wanted to get involved,” Dan reflected.  “I thought that working with young people was something I could excel at.”

When Dan met his Little Brother, Zac, in 2004, he was worried that they wouldn’t be able to connect.  Zac was a little nervous and shy at first, but slowly began to open up the more time Dan spent with him.  Their shared love for Peter Piper Pizza and hanging out at the park was the start of a friendship that has endured for seven years.

Dan has watched Zac grow from a small boy into a young man.  However, this posed new challenges – What do I do now that my Little is growing up?! 

One activity which has transcended age has been their trips up to Six Flags in Dallas.  Dan recalls one memorable trip in particular. “A few years ago I talked Zac into getting on one of the biggest, scariest roller coasters.  He was not at all sure that he trusted my judgment, but he ended up LOVING it,” Dan laughed.  Roller coasters can get you going, no matter what age!

As Dan instilled confidence and “guts” into his Little Brother, he saw changes happening in his own personality as well.  He says he has noticed that his communication skills with children have improved drastically, which will pay off as Dan and his wife prepare to welcome their first child later this year.  In addition to enjoying his friendship with Zac, Dan cherishes the relationship he has built with Zac’s family.

Dan also supports Big Brothers Big Sisters as a board member and has been instrumental in helping us get the word out about the agency.  Big Brothers Big Sisters of McLennan County THANKS YOU for your continued commitment to our program and to Zac!

Zac & Dan at Cameron Park Zoo, July 2011

Tomorrow is Big Brothers Big Sisters Day at Carino's Italian!

Tomorrow is Big Brothers Big Sisters Day at Carino's Italian Restaurant!

Carino's has generously agreed to donate 10% of the entire day's sales back to the agency to support Waco matches!   We will only receive donations if you bring in the flyer, so be sure to remember to give a copy to your server.   Support Big Brothers Big Sisters, and have a great meal tomorrow at Carino's Italian (1411 N. Valley Mills, Waco).

Our Bigs and Littles had a blast time at Practically Pikasso over the weekend!

We were able to visit the studio and paint our own pottery for the afternoon.  Although it got a little messy, everyone enjoyed the day.  A BIG THANKS to Koury Fadal and the rest of the Practically Pikasso staff.  Thanks also to our volunteer Sarah Lake, who helped us capture the afternoon with the pictures posted below.  Our August 9th match activity will be sponsored by 1660 ESPN Radio and Fox Sports Southwest at a Texas Rangers game! 

Big Brothers Big Sisters Day at Carino's Italian - July 21!

We are proud to announce that Carino's Italian Restaurant has named Thursday, July 21 as Big Brothers Big Sisters day!

Carino's has generously agreed to donate 10% of the entire day's sales back to the agency to support Waco matches!   We will only receive donations if you bring in the flyer, so be sure to remember to give a copy to your server.  Please make plans to eat at Carinos on July 21 with your coworkers, friends & family, and pass this message along to your contacts!

Changing Lives - One Story at a Time: Joe & Michael

One fish, two fish.  But what do you DO with the fish?  Big Brother Joe & Little Brother Michael, who have been matched since 1998, decided one day to give fishing a try.  After standing in the heat for nearly four and half hours, Michael was ready to quit, but Joe rallied him to stay for ten more minutes.  As soon as Michael agreed, they got their first nibbles on both lines.  They caught 9 large black bass over the next 30 minutes!  Michael and Joe proudly brought their bounty home, only to realize neither of them had a clue how to gut a fish.  As they started to try to clean them, they realized every single fish was full of bright yellow, slimy eggs… and that they were WAY over their heads.  They chalked it up as a loss, and decided to cook burgers for dinner instead!

Just like with this outing, Joe never assumed he had all the answers. When he and Michael first met, he was excited but nervous.  “Initially, I did not know what to do with him, so we spent a brief period of time just trying to get to know each other,” Joe reflected in a recent interview.  “His shyness continued but he eventually warmed up to the idea that I was going to be around.”  In addition to fishing trips, Michael and Joe enjoyed outings to sports games, movies, and simply hanging out talking and sharing jokes.  Over the past 13 years, their relationship has continued to blossom into an adult friendship.  “Michael and his family have become an extension of my family,” says Joe.  “My parents, my kids and my in-laws have all accepted Michael as one of our own and have cheered for him and his success for years.”

Michael, now a father himself, is currently an Architectural Engineer with the United States Marine Corps and recently returned from Afghanistan. As he returns to his base in North Carolina we wish him and his family all the best!  A BIG THANKS to Joe for always being there for Michael, and for his passion for Big Brothers Big Sisters!

Waco board member & Big Brother Joe, Little Brother Michael, and Joe’s two sons.

A Day at the Zoo

Our Bigs and Littles had a great time at Cameron Park Zoo on June 12^th.  During a behind-the-scenes tour they got up close and personal with a rhinoceros, fed Geoffrey the Giraffe, and learned all about elephants!   A BIG THANKS to Terry Cox, Cindy Michaelis, and our Zookeeper tour guides for hosting us for the day.  Our July match activity will be hosted by Practically Pikasso on July 16th - Be sure to let us know if you and your Little are interested in joining us!

Welcome!

Welcome to the Official Big Brothers Big Sisters of Waco & McLennan County Blog!

We've created this blog as a hub for all local news, match stories and information about our Waco office. Here's a quick overview of who we are and what we do!

Big Brothers Big Sisters is not your typical organization. We help children realize their potential and build their futures. We nurture children and strengthen communities. And we couldn’t do any of it without you.

As a donor-supported volunteer youth mentoring organization, our program has been placing caring adults in the lives of children in one-to-one mentoring relationships since 1904. Through the positive impact of those friendships, children with a Big Brother or Big Sister are more likely to graduate from high school and are less likely to begin using drugs, begin using alcohol or engage in negative conflict.

Our professional staff carefully works with both the volunteers and the children to ensure that the experience of Big Brothers Big Sisters is one that is dynamic, fulfilling, memorable and enjoyable for both the child and the volunteer. Our office is a satellite of the Big Brothers Big Sisters Lone Star agency headquartered in Irving. Big Brothers Big Sisters Lone Star is the largest Big Brothers Big Sisters agency in the world.

Our one-to-one matches are the driving force behind making an impact on children. A Big Brothers Big Sisters’ match is carefully administered and held to the strictest standards. Agency staff strives for matches that are not only safe and well suited to each child’s needs, but also harmonious and built to last. We refer to the children as Littles and the adults as Bigs. We provide ongoing support and supervision to the Big, the Little, and the Little’s family. We offer training and advice to help ensure that the match is working for everyone involved.

As a Big in our program, there are a number of ways to be involved in a match. The community-based program is the traditional Big Brothers Big Sisters relationship, where volunteers and children get together on their own to share fun activities they both enjoy. It takes just a few hours each month to share the simple things you already like to do such as shooting hoops, playing a board game, sharing a pizza, taking a walk in the park or simply hanging out and talking. In our school-based mentoring program, volunteers and children meet for one-on-one mentoring in the classroom, school library, lunch room or other set location. They typically meet once a week to read together, play sports or computer games, or simply talk about life and personal issues – just as friends do.

In addition to being a Big Brother or Big Sister, you could also be a Big Couple or Big Family! As a Big Couple, you and your spouse can both become mentors to a child in our program. You can all do things together or you can each share time with the child individually. This is a great way to spend time together while also changing the life of a child. And, the child benefits from having a Big Brother and a Big Sister at the same time! As a Big Family, your entire family is involved in your match to a child. That means your spouse and kids can all share time with the child in our program. By including the child in the things that your family already does together, he or she will get to experience the dynamics, experiences and fun involved in a traditional family atmosphere.

According to an independent study by Public/Private Ventures, our matches are proven to provide measurable impact on our Littles' lives. The researchers found that after 18 months of spending time with their Bigs, the Little Brothers and Little Sisters, compared to those children not in our program, were:

• 46% less likely to begin using illegal drugs
• 27% less likely to begin using alcohol
• 52% less likely to skip school
• 37% less likely to skip a class
• 33% less likely to hit someone

They also found that the Littles were more confident of their performance in schoolwork and getting along better with their families.

We currently have 150 great kids in Waco waiting for their Bigs. Start Something and join us today as a mentor, supporter or donor!