Big Brothers Big Sisters Nevada needs 80 adults to mentor the children currently on its waiting list.
"Our biggest concern is not the number on the list but the amount of time they wait on the list, especially our older boys. We're very concerned about them," says Erin Cornelius, chief executive officer of the organization.
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Since 1973, Big Brothers Big Sisters Nevada has matched children ages 5 to 18 with adult role models who spend quality time with them -- not necessarily quantity.
"What we ask for is a one-year commitment of having contact with a child once a week," Cornelius says. "We don't say how much time that needs to be, because it depends on the volunteer and the child."
Currently, 900 "bigs" are working to mentor "littles."
In between their meet-ups, it's not unusual for them to call or e-mail each other.
"We front-load our kids with skills and assets to make them successful before they're faced with very difficult decisions," Cornelius says. "Doing prevention is much easier than trying to rehab them at the far end. It's also much more successful and longer lasting."
Up until a decade ago, the littles had to live in single-parent families. Although such pairings are still the norm, that requirement is no longer in place.
"You might have a parent who comes and goes," Cornelius says, "and a lot of kids are raised by grandparents, which is a challenge -- especially if you're an older grandparent with six kids running around."
The organization, run by 47 staff members, operates on an annual budget of $2 million, most of which comes from individual and corporate donors and fundraising events, in addition to $200,000 from the national office.
"The one-to-one mentoring relationship helps build up a child and gives them the security and confidence to reach for higher life goals," Cornelius says. "Instilling these qualities in children has a ripple effect that improves our entire community."
For more information about becoming a mentor or obtaining a mentor for a child, call 731-2227.
For more information about donations of goods, call 222-9000.
