NEWS

TRAINING TIPS

UPCOMING EVENTS

Annual Awards Ceremony & Picnic Photos

Annual Zoo Trip
The weather cooperated beautifully for the annual RBBBS National zoo trip on May 17th. The agency chartered two buses and 86 Bigs, Littles and staff members climbed aboard, departing the agency at 9am for a full day of fun. Once we arrived at the zoo, matches split up and went to see their favorite animals. The group met for lunch at the Panda Cafe and there was lots of excited chatter about who had seen which animal. Mentioned most often were the pandas, reptile exhibit and the gorillas. After lunch, the matches were on their own for another hour and then it was time to board the bus at 3:15. We arrived back at the agency at 5:00 - a tired, but very happy group.

Thanks to the 20 Matches and the 27 Waiting List Kids who participated in our Bowl For Kids’ Sake!

Discounted movie tickets are available for all of our Community Based and Bigs Plus matches. The tickets are $4.50 each and are available for Regal and Marquee Cinemas.

Bigs can pick up tickets during office hours and may pay by cash, check, or credit card.

Tickets have no expiration date.

WoW -- what a great event! Thank you to all the wonderful people at RIDEMAKERZ. See Photos.

Big Brother Steve Reinhold and family, along with Steve’s Little Brother Scotty, hosted a wonderful outdoor activity at “Little Beach” in the Lake Caroline community on Sunday, October 14 for approximately 45 Bigs, Littles and Staff. Everyone enjoyed a great cookout, fishing, canoeing, games on the beach and relaxing on a perfect October afternoon.

Please take a moment to share your experiences as a Big with others.

Send an email to Lisa.

Bigs, remember to keep track of your mileage and all expenditures associated with your Little during your outings. If you itemize, you can take these as a tax deduction since you are serving as a volunteer for a non-profit organization!

Effective mentors are more likely to be engaged in the following practices:

u They see themselves as “friends” rather than teachers or parents, and define their role as supporting the youth in a variety of ways.

u They are active listeners.

u They make a commitment to being consistent and dependable, to maintaining a steady presence in a youth’s life.

u They understand that the relationship may seem fairly one-side; they may feel like they are doing all the work; and they take responsibility for keeping the relationship alive. For example, early in the relationship, youth often test adults to determine whether they will actually stick around. Successful mentors regularly initiate contact and ensure that meetings are scheduled rather than waiting to hear from youth.

u They involve the youth in deciding how the pair will spend their time together. While youth are often reticent about expressing what they want to do, successful mentors take the time to learn about the youth’s interests and provide them with options for how to spend their time, rather than planning everything without input from the youth.

u They pay attention to kids’ need for “fun”. Having fun together is a key part of building relationships, and it also provides youth with valuable opportunities that are otherwise often unavailable to them.

u They see and utilize the help and advice of program staff. Successful mentors recognize that they don’t have all the answers, and they value the support and guidance that program staff can provide.

Information from Morrow, K.V. M.B. (1995). Building Relationships with Youth in Program Settings: A Study of Big Brothers/Big Sisters. Philadelphia: Public/Private Ventures.
 

Check out our
Mentor Training Schedule

Saturday, July 26
10:00am-5:00pm
Volunteer Recruitment Event
From Lisa: There is an all-day volunteer recruitment event coming up on Saturday, July 26 and I’d love to see a lot of our Bigs come out with their Littles to help us out and have fun in the park at the festival! Below are the details. Please email me at lisabales@rbbbs.org if you can help out with a 1-hour shift at our RBBBS table. Thanks!

The Unity-n-the Community Festival will be held at St Clair Brooks Park (Butler Road near the Massad YMCA) on July 26th. It’s free and open to the public from 10:00am-5:00pm. This event is being sponsored by Mt Hope Baptist Church (on the corner of Harrison and Gordon Roads) and will include food and business vendors, fun activities (moon bounces, high impact activities) and live local Christian and secular entertainment; there will be a little something for everyone. We anticipate 2000-5000 folks to come through the park. All is free to the public except food; however, the vendors will have reduced food pricing.

RBBBS will have several opportunities throughout the day to speak to the crowd from the stage, to educate and recruit volunteers. Littles are also invited to share their talents as entertainers.

Sunday, August 3
3:30-6:00pm
Free Waterpark Activity at the YMCA on Butler Road in south Stafford. Bring your swimsuits, towels and sunscreen for a fun afternoon on the slides and swimming in the pool. Vendor station will be open for snacks to purchase or you may bring your own cooler. Sign up by July 31 through the agency: 540/371-7444 or lisabales@rbbbs.org

Thursday, August 7
6:30-8:30pm
Wine Dinner to benefit RBBBS at Caroline Street Cafe, 1002 Caroline Street (near the corner of William and Caroline). Enjoy five delectable courses prepared by Chef Shane in the pleasant atmosphere of the Cafe side room. Michelle Ditzler from Freeman Beverage will be our presenter, giving a colorful descriptions of each wine pairing. Cost TBD by July 14. Call 540/371-7444 or email lisabales@rbbbs.org to get on the list-- limited seating!

Thursday, September 18
Double shot-gun start
Choose from 8:00am or 2:00pm
14th Annual Golf Classic for Kids to benefit RBBBS at Lee's Hill Golf Course. Former Redskin Mike Nelms of Superbowl fame will be golfing with us, along with three of his Redskin teammates! Golfers receive golf cart and range balls, 2 meals, beverage tickets, and awards. Multiple sponsorships available, costs TBD by July 23. Call 540/371-7444 or email lisabales@rbbbs.org

Saturday, October 11
1:30-4:30pm
Walk for Kids to benefit RBBBS. Walkers will enjoy a scenic 2-mile route along the Canal Path in Fredericksburg, starting and ending at the Quarles headquarters at 1701 Fall Hill Avenue. Free buffet featuring hamburgers and hotdogs provided by McDonald's of Stafford, beverages donated by Coca-Cola, free ice cream from Bruster's, Walk for Kids tee shirts and music-- all for walkers who pre-register and raise $25 minimum in pledges. Call 540/371-7444 or email lisabales@rbbbs.org for a registration form and pledge sheet.