LIHU‘E — The Kaua‘i Community Federal Credit Union and Kaua‘i Family Magazine’s $800 contribution to support the one-to-one match relationships and activities in the school and community-based programs on Kaua‘i is just one of the recently awarded grants and donations
LIHU‘E — The Kaua‘i Community Federal Credit Union and Kaua‘i Family Magazine’s $800 contribution to support the one-to-one match relationships and activities in the school and community-based programs on Kaua‘i is just one of the recently awarded grants and donations from a number of community partners, said Holly Brown, special events and marketing coordinator for the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hawai‘i.
Funds from these grants will allow more of Hawai‘i’s youth access to one-to-one mentoring services which have been proven to make a significant difference in their personal and academic lives, officials said.
Alan Satta, a firefighter with the Kaua‘i Fire Department, was recently honored as the 2012 Big Brother of the Year by Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. and joined by his Little Brother Allen Duran, the pair highlighting the mentoring program.
“It was really neat because during their first match meeting, they learned that both their moms had the same name, ‘Etsuko,’” said Kaulana Finn, the Kaua‘i Community Director for BBBS. “We are so grateful that more mentors are volunteering to impact our Kaua‘i keiki. I am also grateful to volunteer mentors such as Alan who are truly making a difference.”
Joining the KCFCU and Kaua‘i Family magazine, other donors in the state include the 808 Sports League, Atherton Family Foundation, the Bank of Hawai‘i John M. Ross Foundation, the County of Hawai‘i, the Friends of Hawai‘i Charities, MidPacific Elementary School, the Prince Hall Grand Lodge, Prudential Locations Foundation, and The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation.
The Atherton Family Foundation contributed $25,000 to support the statewide unification of BBBS to provide more than 600 children facing adversity with professionally supported one-to-one mentoring relationships, states a BBBS release.
Since 1963, BBBS Hawai‘i has partnered with guardians, schools, corporations and others in the community to pair children, known as “Littles,” with carefully screened and trained volunteer mentors, known as “Bigs.”
One of the unique service of BBBS is that each one of these mentoring relationships is monitored and professionally supported by a case manager focused on creating a healthy bond between the individuals.
An affiliate of the nation’s largest donor and volunteer supported mentoring network, BBBS Hawai‘i mentoring programs have proven positive impact for youth in the areas of academics, socio-emotional and behavioral outcomes, high school graduation rates, avoidance of juvenile delinquency and college, or career readiness.
Visit www.bbbshawaii.org for more information on the Big Brothers Big Sisters Hawai‘i.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@ thegardenisland.com.
