If people have complaints about this organization, they have not been very successful in getting them on the internet
Come on, there must be SOME people who did not like Big Brothers and Big Sisters all that much!Especially in New York!
Well, here are the glowing Yelp reviews anyway
Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York City
Category:
Community Service/Non-Profit
223 E 30th St(between 3rd Ave & 2nd Ave)
New York, NY 10016
Neighborhoods: Midtown East, Kips Bay
(212) 686-2042
- Nearest Transit Station:
-
28 St.33 St.23 St.
0.4 Miles
from Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York City
Full service Adoption Agency - infant adoptions (we don't do pets, so sad). Free counseling & services for pregnant women + Sliding Scale fee's for adoptive parents!
5 reviews for Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York City
5 reviews in English
-
Review from Jane R.
There are so many great reasons to be a Big. However to become a Big is a long process. I applied in late December, went to a introduction to the application/interview process, then went to an interview in February. And I didn't get matched until early April. I'm incredibly glad I did it. I love being a Big. The staff is incredibly helpful and supportive and always checking in.
I also love that there are so many great committees to get involved in such as the Young Professionals Committee and the half-marathon/marathon teams. They also put on a lot of great events for Bigs as a thank you. -
Review from Jeff C.
New York, NYI just signed up for this via the Heart Gallery NYC's affiliation with them. The fact that you can help out a foster child is very touching and makes a huge difference in someone else's life. It's bad enough that these foster children have no sense of permanancy and get booted out of the program once they reach adulthood. It's important for us to help raise awareness and find adoption families for these children.
Commitment is 8hrs/month for 1year. You go through an extensive 1.45hr interview process as well as 3 reference checks (yes, they actually call and are very thorough). GET OFF YOUR LAZY ARSE AND HELP CHANGE SOMEONE'S LIFE! -
Review from Marissa C.
Jersey City, NJI'm a big in the workplace-based mentoring program and I think its awesome and encourage everyone to get involved in BBBS in anyway they can. I got started with the program late in the school year and our group of littles are graduating this month so I'm very excited for this fall when we will get younger littles.
My office has programs for 2 hours on a Monday afternoon, twice a month. That's not much time out of your busy schedules!
Children aren't given a choice of what family they are brought into, what home life they have, where they live, etc. Helping children in general is rewarding, but I can't think of anything more special than when you are helping children who are possibly less fortunate and have a chance to make a difference in their life. You can give them the chance to meet the right people and guide them in the right direction so that when it comes time for them to make their own choices they'll know which are the right ones to make. They'll keep themselves in school, stay away from the wrong crowds, continue on to college, get a job, keep their values and self respect and grow into someone that they deserve to become. -
Review from Nicholas T.
Brooklyn, NYBecoming a Big is a great thing - you get to connect with and really help some kids who really need the help.
I'm in the school-based mentoring program, meaning that we meet with our Little once a week for lunch in a group with the other Bigs assigned to the same school. (Did that make sense?) Anyways, there are some activities, but the primary focus is really just on connecting weekly with your Little.
There's a huge shortage of guys for the program, so if you're a guy considering volunteering, this is a great way to do it. A lot of the boys in the program are good kids who just don't have the kind of adult attention and role model they need - kids in foster homes, or with parents who might as well not be there, often in schools that are too crowded to spend the time needed to make up for the lack of a strong father figure at home. All they need is a little attention and a positive influence to start making some progress. I've been paired up with my Little Brother for a year now and it took time for him to warm up, but he's started applying himself in school, doing most of his homework, and turning things around. There's still a long way to go, but knowing you can make a difference with just a commitment of around 4 hours a month is a great feeling. (Also, since it's during the day, if you can manage to get a long lunch break once a week at work it won't even get in the way of the rest of your life, for those of you with full schedules.)
Go join already! -
Review from Nancy H.
NY, NYI'm sure you all know what Big Brothers Big Sisters is - you get assigned a child or teen who you'll spend 8 hours a month with. I thought it would be good for all you yelpers to hear a bit more about the process. First, you'll take an "orientation" online and submit an application. (http://www.bigsnyc.org). Next you'll get called in for an interview. Be prepared for them to ask you EVERYTHING. For example: "When was your first sexual experience? Was it positive?" If you make it past the interview stage and the security clearance (finger prints, check references, criminal background check, etc) you will go to a training where you'll learn about the ins and outs of being a Big Sibling. Then they'll try to find a match for you. There are more female volunteers than girls in the program, so there may be a long wait if you are a girl. (There is a major shortage of male volunteers however - they aren't even accepting applications for little brothers.) Then, if the caseworker and parents agree, you'll meet your new little sibling and become a mentor. It's worth a shot!
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please leave a comment-- or suggestions, particularly of topics and places you'd like to see covered