OU students make up the largest portion of Big Brothers/Big Sisters volunteers.
Angela chambers
DAILY STAFF WRITER
Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Cleveland County needs more than 100 new volunteers for children still in need of a mentor.
The program matches mentors with elementary school children. The mentor meets with his or her child each week to help with homework, play games or meet other needs of the student.
Diane Murphree, Big Brothers/Big Sisters executive director, said the organization is unable to survive without the help of OU students, who make up 87 percent of the organization's mentors.
"Being with my little brothers has been a humbling experience because it takes so little to put a smile on their faces," said Mark Richards, management information systems senior. "All that I had to do was play a game or help with homework, and they couldn't be happier."
Richards mentored two children for three years and met with each child once a week.
Mentors saw an improvement in their students' self-confidence during their time with the children, according to the results of annual studies by the Big Brothers/Big Sisters program. Mentors also saw an improvement in the children's academic performance.
Murphree said the program was founded by a juvenile court judge who wanted to keep children out of the courtroom. She said volunteers prevent children from getting into trouble by being the role models that are missing in their lives.
"Our program is preventative medicine," Murphree said. "Big brothers and sisters keep kids from being so at risk that they lose interest in school and instead are able to become positive individuals. The children are less likely to use drugs or have an early pregnancy and more likely to stay in school."
The responsibility of a big brother or sister is more than just a one-time volunteer project. The mentor must meet with the child for at least one academic school year.
Vera McEndree, marketing and real estate senior, said to be a good big brother or sister, the mentor must see the child on a regular basis. McEndree said the child depends on and needs the mentor to be there.
"Some of the parents of the children don't encourage their kids to go to school, so their attendance isn't very high," McEndree said. "When I saw my little sister regularly, she wanted to come to school and her attendance greatly improved."
McEndree visited a child for three years and plans to continue with the program this year.
For three years, Will Merrick, graduate student, mentored two little brothers. Merrick said he made a difference in their lives by being someone they could look up to and admire.
"One of my little brothers calls me when he is upset or just wants to talk about something going on in his life," Merrick said. "Every child needs someone that they trust to go to for guidance. I am proud and feel lucky to be someone like that for my little brother."
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