Dear Neighbor:
 
Please help us welcome Big Brothers and Big Sisters of the Triangle (BBBST) to Orange County.   With help from Maple View Agricultural Education Center, OCV invites you to Oktoberfest at the Farm where you’ll learn about mentoring in Orange County. 
 
The event will held on Saturday, October 27th, 2:00 – 5:00 PM at Maple View’s Agricultural Education Center, 3501 Dairyland Road.  Pumpkins, hayrides, and fun fall activities, plus ice cream, form a fun afternoon for “Bigs and Littles“, i.e kids and mentors already matched by BBBST.  For the rest of us, its a chance to get a firsthand look at how BBBST works, with help from Triangle Sportsplex, 4H,  Orange County Recreation, and others. 
 
Today BBBST serves 1000 kids in the Triangle. In Orange County, 200 kids are paired with mentors.  Yet 250 kids are on the waitlist.   Once you see BBBST in action, we hope that you will consider becoming a volunteer, or referring a kid that you care about.  We know you’ll enjoy meeting mentors and the kids, including kids who are waiting to be matched.    
 
BBBST offers many ways to help. You can be a traditional “Big Brother” or “Big Sister“;  or work with your spouse or partner as a “Couple“.  You might prefer to be a “Big for a Day” by creating a special outing for 10-25 “Big/Little” pairs.  Just last month, Alex Castro, a retired Navy pilot from White Cross, hosted a group at at RDU airport for a close up of planes and helicopters.  For many of the kids, it was their first time at an airport. 
 
BBBST offers community and site-based programs.   For community-based programs, volunteers are matched to a child and asked to commit eight hours every month, for at least a year.  Activities are unrestricted and can be as simple as a walk in the woods, help with homework, or a visit to Maple View for ice cream.  For site-based programs, volunteers are paired with children at school, and asked to commit four hours every month (an hour a week), for at least a year.  For all programs, BBBST provides volunteer training, and works to find perfect matches, and supports teams on an ongoing basis. 
 
Volunteers must be at least 18 years old.  The oldest “Big” in the United States is 94.
 
This is an extraordinary opportunity for the Orange County community to help local kids and their families.  Please stop by on the 27rh for an ice cream and to learn more about this very special program.
 
To learn more or to confirm that you’ll be joining us, please RSVP to Stacey Carbre, 919-850-9772 of BBBST.  Please let Stacey know if you’d like to donate supplies or help out at the event.   To donate to BBBST, go to www.bbbstriangle.org. 
 
 We look forward to seeing you on the 27th!

Sincerely,
Bonnie Hauser 
President
Orange County Voice

Allison Nichols-Clapper 
Executive Director
Maple View Agricultural Center
 
Kim Breeden
Chief Executive officer
 Big Brothers, Big Sisters of the Triangle