by Miranda G. McLeod
Staff Writer
Children aren’t in short supply, it’s the adults Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Florida are trying to find — and they’ve found a few at the Jacksonville Port Authority. The two have partnered to be mentors at R.L. Brown Elementary. The port provides 16 adults or ‘bigs,’ and BBBS provides the children or ‘littles.’
Each week since the beginning or this school year, the port has granted its employees one business hour to go to the school and mentor a second-grader. Each mentor works with the same child all school year.
Currently, the port is in a trial phase with the program, but is looking to expand the program next year. According to Robert Peek, the port’s director of communications, the port is working with BBBS to seek mentors from private companies that operate in and around the port’s facilities.
Alissa Bowles, manager of audits, compliance, and diversity programs at the port, said it would be wonderful if more companies get involved.
“The need is greater than what we can provide. If two or three more companies start mentoring, it would be great,” said Bowles.
Bowles says she really enjoys being in the program and looks forward to seeing her student, Shawndrea, every Tuesday.
“It’s a good feeling, building a relationship with her. At the end of the day I feel like I have contributed something positive,” said Bowles.
Bowles works with Shawndrea on whatever her teacher thinks Shawdrea needs help with or more time on. Currently, they are working to improve Shawdrea’s reading skills.
“We do other things also to break the ice. It’s an opportunity to have a little fun and relax,” said Bowles. “If I could do more, I would.”
Kim Johnson, system project leader in the information technology department at the port, felt she could give back to the community by mentoring. She says her student, Lawrence, sees her as a different person other than his teachers as well as someone he can open up to.
“I hope I impact him positively,” said Johnson. “Some days are hard, but it melts your heart being with him.”
Johnson said she was nervous when she first started the program, but then, she said, “I just acted like Lawrence was Jared (her son). I tried to find something he’d be interested in.”
Now she’s more comfortable and looks forward to meeting Lawrence every week.
“We go over reading and spelling words, current events, pretty much anything he brings up. He loves the globe and wants to live all over the world — from Houston to Asia,” said Johnson. “I see things through different eyes now. I’m able to apply things to my son and Lawrence gives ideas a new spin.”
Johnson said Lawrence’s teacher has even seen a difference in his behavior and his eagerness to learn.
Katie DePotter, director of volunteer partnerships at BBBS, says mentors in children’s lives help academics.
“The hardest thing to do is find the adults,” she said. “Men are the most difficult to recruit.”
The “Bigs in Schools” mentoring program, which started at BBBS in 1994, has served 314 students during the current school year. However, there are still 150 children on a waiting list for a mentor.