Big Brothers Big Sisters of the National Capital Area plays a critical role in meeting the needs of the Latino community through Hermanos y Hermanas Mayores. Our Latino Outreach Initiative seeks to help every Latino household who needs or wants a Big Brother or a Big Sister. This program recruits bilingual mentors to serve as cultural bridges to help children draw strength and wisdom from their Latino cultural heritage while serving as successful role models.
Our program staff provides services in a familiar language and cultural context to help create a productive mentoring relationship through building confianza (trust, reliance, openness).
In Communities: Hermanos y Hermanas Mayores One-To-One® mentoring program provides carefully screened, caring adult mentors who understand the Latino to Latino children, 7-18 years old, mostly from single-parent homes. Big Brothers Big Sisters encourages positive youth development by matching children with volunteer mentors who engage children in activities as alternatives to delinquent behavior, gang involvement, poor school performance, and social skills. The influence of a Big Brother or Big Sister can profoundly and life-long impact a child’s decision-making ability, self-esteem, and relationship-building skills. Community-based mentors commit at least four hours per week to work with their child.
In Schools: Hermanos y Hermanas Mayores reaches school children referred by teachers, counselors, and parents. Children are provided with prevention and intervention strategies so they remain in school, change their attitude toward school, and improve academically. School-based mentors commit an hour per week to work with their child.
In Homes: As needed, staff members provide the families of Littles with casework support services, including advocacy, crisis intervention, referrals, and translations to help them achieve independence and self-sufficiency. All the while, the Littles are forming safe and trusting relationships with their mentors, receiving healthy messages about life choices, improving their social relationships, and participating in community activities with their Bigs.
Volunteers throughout the metropolitan DC area participate in our Hermanos y Hermanas Mayores program, which has served over 2,000 Latino children, family members, and volunteer mentors. There is still a waiting list of Latino boys and girls who are seeking Big Brothers or Big Sisters.
To find out more about this program, please contact us!