When I tell people I head Big Brothers Big Sisters of Berrien & Cass, they typically praise the organization’s “Bigs” and mention how fortunate the “Littles” who are enrolled in our program are to have them.

However, in addition to serving nearly 170 volunteer mentors and mentees, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Berrien & Cass serves some 220 parents, most of whom are single mothers and grandmothers.

This May, as the nation celebrates mothers, Big Brothers Big Sisters is introducing “All She Wants for Mother’s Day,” a fund drive that highlights mothers of more than 30,000 children, mostly boys, who are on the organization’s “waiting to be matched” lists.  More than 35 children are on Big Brothers Big Sisters of Berrien & Cass’ waiting list.

The moms of these children are a tangible reminder that while the demand for our program has perhaps never been greater, resources needed to meet the need for our one-to-one professionally supported mentoring services are limited.

“All She Wants for Mother’s Day,” makes an appeal for donations to help the organization recruit, screen and carefully match more Bigs with Littles in monitored long-term mentoring friendships.

The Mother’s Day Month campaign also includes a recruitment effort for male mentors, as two-thirds of the Littles who have been waiting the longest — sometimes for more than a year — for Bigs are boys.

As a mother of 1 child and someone who speaks daily with mothers who seek our mentoring services, I understand in a real and very personal way what it is like for a mom to do everything she can to pave the way for her sons and daughters.

By supporting Big Brothers Big Sisters, you can give a mom a mentor for her child.  It’s a gift with rewards proven by studies to help children improve in school, their behavior and their self-esteem — something that can change her child’s life for the better, forever.

Christina Frank is the executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Berrien & Cass. Learn more at www.bbbsofbc.org