Bremer Kids Challenge - Big Brothers-Big Sisters of Central Minnesota, Inc

Donations made through this Bremer Give to the Kids Challenge project page between 8 a.m. Tuesday, September 28th and 4 p.m. Tuesday, October 5th are eligible to be matched by the Otto Bremer Foundation, which is providing us up to $6,000 in dollar-for-dollar matching grants. In order for your donation to count toward the Challenge, please do not donate until after 8 a.m. on Tuesday, September 28. To learn more about the Bremer Give to the Kids Challenge, click here: http://givemn.razoo.com/p/bremer

The need for our services is immense with an estimated 12,000 youth in our five-county service area having been identified as at-risk. At the same time, the unstable economy has affected many of the families of our community. The children we serve have it even rougher than before, and the need for our services is greater than ever as we currently have over 135 at-risk youth waiting to become matched with a caring volunteer if we can secure the funding.

The task of re-igniting hope and success in the lives of at-risk youth is increasingly difficult. In today’s society, where there are far more potentially detrimental influences available to children than any other time and with far less guidance than any other time, the pressures on our youth are extraordinary. Mentoring has been proven instrumental in creating resilient youth able to overcome challenging obstacles and prosper.

Research illustrates that youth who are involved in a lasting mentoring relationship – one year or longer – demonstrate improvements in a number of psychosocial, behavioral and academic areas. The initial effects that the mentoring relationships have include an improvement in ability to make decisions to avoid delinquent behavior, improvement in attitudes toward school and learning, improvement in relationships, and a heightened self-esteem and self-confidence. In addition to the immediate and long-term benefits gained by the involved youth and mentors, mentoring relationships positively influence the lives of the youths' families and the community at large.

Since we charge no fee for our services, we rely heavily on donations from individuals, businesses, service clubs, and foundations to help fund our program & make a positive impact on the lives of hundreds of youth in our community.