Big Brothers Big Sisters

Grant
In A Nutshell
Program
Team
Numbers

Big Brothers Big Sisters Success Grant

CLICK HERE FOR BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS’ Q3 REPORT

2009 Goals

DurhamCares Commentary

Big Brothers and Big Sisters of the Triangle (BBBST) provided two numbers for the challenge grant. One measures kids matched and the other financial efficiency. While both are important, we believe the most important outcome to be the number of absolute matches. Therefore, DurhamCares will be releasing our portion of the grant if the absolute matching numbers are met and if BBBST is within 20% of the cost per match ratio provided. With this understanding, we will be glad to see the total number of matches increase even if the incremental cost rises.

In fact, we would like to work with the Triangle BBBS CEO, Kim Breeden, over the next year to develop a plan to double the matches even if there is a higher associated incremental cost. There is a particular challenge in Durham as there are too few “Bigs” to match with “Littles” desiring a mentorship. If BBBST is able to reduce the number of kids waiting in Durham, then additional costs that are incurred to meet this need (for local advertising, additional staff or other measures) may well be warranted. We believe the services of mentorship are a valuable proposition even up to $1500/match.

In addition to our own assessment we are also encouraged by other independent assessments that validate the local chapter of BBBS and their success. This is best represented by Kim Breeden’s accolade of CEO of the year from the National organization in 2008.

Finally, while matching “Bigs” with “Littles” will continue to be the core mission of BBBST and is the aspect of their organization that is most important to DurhamCares, other programs being implemented to impact the community include: Mentoring Children of Prisoners (MCOP), MIT (Mentors in Technology), and Healthy Child - a nutrition and wellness program for children.

Big Brothers and Big Sisters of the Triangle Commentary

After considerable review and feedback from staff, volunteers, and families served during the first quarter of 2009, our Board and Management has refocused our goals and further committed to our core values during these times. We finalized 2008 with 1,066 children served a rather aggressive growth rate from the 36 children we served in Durham just 6 years ago. This rapid growth is challenging for any organization, and while the quality of our services produce more tangible impact and our community experiences more economic hardship, demand for our services are increase. As a one-to-one mentoring program we rely heavily on a large influx of volunteers and donors, many of which are weighted by the current economic conditions. As job loss, relocation, or salary reductions continue some adult volunteers struggle to keep their on-going annual commitment to our children, while others are less likely to be able to volunteer as a mentor in the first place. This greatly restricts our resources on activities we can provide for the children.

As an organization we recognize that realistic revenue and available volunteer pools for quality service must to dictate our goals and not merely our heartfelt desire to serve more and more children because of the overwhelming demand in our community. With that in mind we have decided not to push for another consecutive year of “big” growth in numbers served and to focus on the quality of service and care provided to our most vulnerable children. Our amended goals in 2009 is to serve 1,100 local children and keep our costs per match below $1,500 per child per year.

As noted, quality is the critical difference between BBBS mentoring and other small community efforts. In 2009, we are shifting our focus from rapid growth to sustaining quality and efficiency in all areas of operations. For children enrolled in the program that quality is most impacted and seen in “longer stronger” matches/relationships. Our enhanced organizational culture and service delivery model will focus on “STRENGTH of Relationships”. We are committed to ensuring our matches are made successful from the onset and are provided professional on-going support to increase the likelihood that relationships will endure past the 12 month mark. This is a mark that national research shows to create the most dramatic impact for children in all areas of academic and social development. Our service delivery systems and National Office track this data, and as an organization we are committed to improving on our “retention rate”. In 2008, we had a retention rate (children matched 12 months or longer) of 66%. In 2009, we have committed to a retention rate goal of 74%.

We look forward to working together with Durham Cares to find dedicated volunteers and critical resources for our community’s most vulnerable children. Thank You.

Big Brothers Big Sisters In A Nutshell

What

The mission of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Triangle, Inc. (BBBST) is to help children reach their potential through professionally supported, one-to-one relationships with mentors that have a measurable impact on youth. They accomplish this goal by establishing long-lasting, one-to-one mentoring relationships that utilize targeted program components to address the needs of children.

Why

There are many reasons why we love BigBrothers/BigSisters and are pleased to promote them:

While serving the Triangle as a whole with more than 1,200 kids, it got its start in Durham . What a great example of folks excelling locally and then taking their talents and success to serve as an example to others in the broader community.
1 on 1 relationship . Each child has one Big Brother or Big Sister. There’s not a chance to lose a kid in the crowd, nor a chance to have someone ignored in a classroom setting. The program is intimate, involved and very meaningful in the child’s life and in the volunteer’s.
Accountability . This is a theme that came up time and time again in discussions with their senior leadership. They are very aware of the significant responsibility of working with other people’s kids AND other people’s money.
Screening . It’s been joked that it’s more difficult to become a Big Brother or Big Sister than it is to join the FBI. Good! Mentoring our kids is serious (though fun and rewarding) business.
Excellence . We’re not the only ones that think BBBST is fantastic. They received recognition as a BBBS of America Gold Standard Award agency in 2007. BBBST has been selected as one of the very best performers in revenue, children served, and quality of match relationships from almost 400 agencies nation-wide. As a Gold Standard agency in 2007, this places BBBST within the top 5% of agencies in the nation, and Kim Breeden was named the 2008 CEO of the Year.

Big Brothers Big Sisters's Program

Community Based Mentoring

Community-based mentoring provides children from single parent homes or other children in need of adult role models with a one-to-one mentor relationship with a volunteer from the community. These volunteers receive extensive screening and training from Enrollment Specialists and Match Support Personnel. A careful process is followed to make a match between youth who have requested services to the appropriate volunteer in order to promote long-term relationships. The average matches last for well over a year because of this detailed effort. The volunteers, parents, and the children are extensively involved in the process. The Community-based “Bigs” work with parents to coordinate transportation and routinely provide 8-10 hours a month of quality one-to-one time for each child. This particular program allows the ability to reach children throughout the county who may otherwise not have access to services. These “Big Brothers and Big Sisters” play an integral role of the lives of their “Littles” by being good listeners and by providing a stable adult role model to help guide these children in the right direction.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Triangle (BBBST) provides on-going monthly support to each match. After the initial match process, volunteers, parents and children are contacted monthly to ensure the effectiveness of the service delivery model. Staff are also available at any time to provide additional support to each match. BBBST also provides a variety of monthly enrichment activities for “Bigs” and “Littles”. They further work with corporate sponsors and local donors to provide opportunities for the matches to attend sporting events, movies, museums and a variety of local activities.

School - Based Mentoring

School-based mentoring, the fastest growing BBBST program, provides mentors to children during and after school on their school’s campus. The growing partnerships with many local schools allow teachers or key school staff refer children who may need extra attention to build better social skills or those who may be lacking in a particular area of schoolwork. Volunteers are oriented, screened and trained to assist this population of children with the same care and detail as the community-based volunteers. School-based volunteers do not take their Little Brothers or Sisters off school grounds and are supervised by school staff regularly and an on-site BBBST staff monthly. Matches in School-based programs last for one school year and may continue into the next at the request of the parent, child, teacher, and volunteer.

Currently in Durham County there are school based programs at EK Powe Elementary, George Watts Montessori, WG Pearson Magnet Middle. These sites are served primarily with volunteers from Duke University, NCCU, City of Durham employees, and employees from our EPA partnership.

Mentoring Children of Prisoners

In February 2008, the Pew Research Foundation for the States released its US prison population report, noting that for the first time 1 out of 100 Americans are incarcerated. Recent statistics further note, approximately 2.2 million children and youth in the United States have at least one parent in a Federal or State correctional facility - approximately 1 in 33 children have an incarcerated parent. These children are 72% more likely than other children and youth to face corrections themselves. North Carolina has long lead the nation in many categories relevant to prison population (number of inmates, percentage of state work force and budget spent on corrections). And sadly, Durham County statistics are substantially worse than an overwhelming majority of our state. The 2006, FBI Crime Report notes Durham County crime was 46% higher than the national average across the board. As a community we are leaving a generation of high risk children abandoned in many neighborhoods.

BBBST is committed to addressing this issue for the next generation with the Mentoring Children of Prisoners (M-CoP) program. In addition to suffering disruption in the relationship with their parent, these young people often struggle with the economic, social, and emotional burdens of the incarceration. There are gaping holes in the lives of these children in addition to the absence of a parent or parents. The impact of this incarceration can be devastating to these young people in many ways:

The events surrounding the actual incarceration can be traumatic.
Their living conditions-both before and after the incarceration- are usually unstable.
They are uncertain of their future.
They often feel shame, anger, and other troubling emotions.
Many experience a sense of detachment.
These children are serving every day of their parent’s sentence with them on the outside.

BBBST is partnering with the county and state correction systems, health and human services, community and faith-based organizations as they establish a comprehensive approach to providing early childhood intervention in the lives of these children. They are working with local government, corporations, the great local universities, leaders in child psychology and youth development, along with their signature national mentoring organization to develop the training and resources to put caring adult role-models (educated and prepared in these unique issues) into the lives of our most vulnerable children.

MIT | Mentoring in Technology

The MIT (Mentoring in Technology) Computer Lab in the South Bank Building on Main Street in the heart of Downtown Durham opened in March of 2008 to address additional youth academic deficiencies and to address the concern of an ever widening gap in technical proficiency in our poorest children. With technological competency viewed as critical to success in the 21st century, increasing accessibility to technology and providing telecommunications and technology education programs are priorities for underserved communities. The youth friendly smart lab was put together with an innovative partnership supported by Greenfire Development, IBM, Lenovo, and local community groups.

The Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Triangle Mentoring In Technology (MIT) Computer Lab will allow both adults and children to learn and appropriately use technology in their daily lives. Even for those participants who have access to technology, an agency technology lab will provide them with additional technology applications (e.g., educational software and applications, Internet, graphic and web based designs) in a learner-centered environment.

The BBBST objective for having a computer lab is to provide a year-round after school “open access” technology-based program for BBBST children and their families in the Durham area.

Sports Buddies

Sports Buddies recognizes that our most impoverished children are increasingly sedentary and engaged in activities that do not support their physical and social development. Sports Buddies share an assortment of sponsored participatory and spectator sports and recreational activities. The program will help expose the child to good sportsmanship, positive behaviors, role-modeling, and mentoring that can inspire the best in children. The agency launched the new Sports Buddies initiative in the Fall of 2007 with its first season. This initiative also helps to target the desperate need for more male mentors by engaging them in specific planned activities.

Sports Buddies also engage in the “What’s in your lunch box” child nutrition program. This is an innovative partnership with KIT (Kids in Training) and the local children’s museums to provide a fun educational experience to the children from designated child nutritionists. These efforts combine youth fitness and a wellness campaign to encourage healthier lifestyle choices for our children and their families.

Big Brothers Big Sisters's Team

Kim Breeden

CEO

Kim was born in Laurinburg, NC. Her parents are Native American. Kim grew up a farmer’s daughter, along side of her younger brother, in a working class community. She attended North Carolina Wesleyan College, lettered in two Varsity sports, and, as a senior, was named Athlete of the Year..
Kim has spent nearly 20 years in service to children’s programs. In 1989, she started with the YWCA and quickly developed her passion for children. In, 1992, she was introduced to the Boys and Girls Clubs through a Big Brother Big Sister program, in which she became a Big Sister to a young girl named Dara who was 9 years old. During this time she accepted a position with the Boys and Girls Clubs and continued to mentor Dara until she graduated high school. Her relationship with Dara inspired her to continue to work with children like Dara, who were from disadvantaged circumstances.
In 1996, Breeden was named as the first Native American Executive Director in the Southeast for The Boys and Girls Clubs of Greensboro, NC. She continued to promote Native American Leadership, as well as Women’s Leadership for the communities in which she served. During her years with Boys and Girls Clubs she received numerous awards for programs designed for children ages 6-18.
In 2002, Breeden’s passion for working with at-risk children led her to accept the role as CEO for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Durham and Orange Counties. This position made her the first Native American Executive with Big Brothers Big Sisters. In 2005, two Big Brothers Big Sisters organizations merged to form Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Triangle (BBBST), and, after a nationwide search, named Breeden as the CEO. In the first two years of operations she lead the greater Triangle organization to extensive growth in children served and revenue raised, while building a strong Board of Directors. At the National Convention of over 400 BBBS agencies in the summer of 2008, the BBBST Board of Directors was nominated for Board of the Year and the agency was deemed the nation’s best revenue growth of a mid-size market.
She continues to be an advocate for children and women in her many speaking engagements across the Triangle. Because of her “Little Sister Dara,” her ultimate goal is for every child who needs and wants a Big Brother or Big Sister to have one.

John Tedesco

Vice President of Development

John grew up in the Pittsburgh area with his 6 younger siblings. There his father worked in a steel mill for over 20 years. John worked several summers there himself to ensure he would be the first person in his family to go to college. He attended Thiel College in Greenville, Pa where he received his Bachelors in Political Science concentrating in Public Administration. While in college, his diverse interests kept him running from football practice to theater practice, wrestling to choir, and then off to a fraternity or student government meeting. He continues his schedule today and has a similar flavor for life in our Triangle wide community.

John has spent the past 12 years in management and development of public institutions: (universities, government, and non-profit organizations). He began this career path first having traveled the country, speaking at colleges and universities for an educational foundation. After a couple of years, he settled with Pace University in the Wall Street district of Manhattan as the Director of Annual Giving. There he coordinated a multi-million dollar annual campaign and served on the senior management team of a $55 million dollar capital campaign. In addition, John taught classes on fundraising and community development at the NYU Center for Non-Profit Management.

During this time of teaching, John stayed actively involved in his community in NJ where he served as chairman of a municipal political committee, and worked on many political campaigns for county, state, and federal candidates. Soon after, John left the university world to serve an appointment as the youngest city manager in the state of New Jersey for the community of Highlands, NJ. He led an extensive overhaul of all municipal operations and his administration managed unprecedented revenue and surplus growth and community development projects. Here his commitment to the youngest in the community was evident as he built new parks, safer neighborhoods, and spoke to each grade level in the local school about engaging as young citizens. With dedicated leadership from a strong mayor and council, his administration and the wonderful local people led in the relief and recovery efforts of lower Manhattan during the September 11th attacks on the World Trade Centers utilizing the community’s ferry systems to evacuate victims and send supplies. The community remained a staging zone and endured these efforts for months. to follow.

Following those efforts, John was anxious for a chance to commit to larger efforts directed at helping children. John became the Director of Development for Harbor House serving over 8,000 homeless, abused, abandoned, and at-risk children in Monmouth and Ocean Counties in NJ each year. Again he led the organization to an unprecedented growth of over 200% in operating revenue in just 3 years, along with substantial capital dollars that were raised to build an additional homeless children’s shelter.

When the newly merged BBBS of the Triangle was created, they sought their first chief development officer and were proud to turn to John for his expertise in organizational development. Along with a passion for helping children and a commitment to broader community impact, John was proud to take on the role to ensure the organization’s capacity to serve over 2,000 local children by 2010. In addition, he was glad to join the rest of his entire large family who preceded him to the Triangle; his 3 youngest siblings are in high school here and his 3 nephews are in local elementary schools - he is proud to take an active role in their lives.

Barron J. Damon

Vice President of Partnerships

Barron grew up a pastor’s son in Darlington, SC. Barron earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Industrial Psychology from the University of South Carolina in Columbia. He also has a Masters degree in Business Management from Webster University. Barron has continued his education by participating in two Executive Leadership Programs. In 2005 he completed the Management Academy in Public Health and in 2006 he completed the Emerging Leaders in Public Health at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill.

Barron started his professional career at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Columbia Inc. in the early 1990’s and quickly became the Director of Programs. By 1997, he was named Vice-President of Operations and by 2002 he was serving as CEO to that BBBS affiliate agency. Prior to his relocation to North Carolina in 2005 to work with the Triangle United Way, Barron owned and operated Lotus Consulting, LLC for three years. His clients included the U.S. Department of Education, the University of South Carolina, Department of Labor, Department of Social Services, Communities and Schools, Department of Health and Environmental Control, as well as several non-profits, churches, and colleges.

He returned to his first love in 2006 by accepting a position with Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Triangle and currently serves in the role of Vice President of Partnership Development.

Barron and his wife Katrina live in Morrisville with their two children Mariah and Joshua.

Andie J. Damon
Vice President of Partnerships

A native of Amherst Virginia, Andie’s childhood experiences consisted of small town life, her grandmother’s farm and lots of family. While attending college within a mile of her hometown, Andie became involved in various community volunteer endeavors. She found her true passion when she became involved with her college’s mentoring program. During her sophomore year, Andie served as a weekly mentor to a group of female middle school students, and her mentoring efforts continued throughout her senior year. Graduating from Sweet Briar College with a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and Sociology, Andie began her professional career as a case manager for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Virginia.

Several years later, Andie decided to further her education and pursued a graduate degree at Longwood College. In 2001, Andie earned a Master of Science degree in Sociology, with a concentration in Criminal Justice. She attended her graduation ceremony along with one of the girls from her former middle school mentoring group, who received her undergraduate degree in Social Work.

Following six years of service with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Virginia, Andie relocated to Durham, North Carolina and began her career with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Durham & Orange Counties, Inc. In 2005, the organization merged with the Wake County program to form Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Triangle, and Andie was the first choice as the Vice President of Programs leading all of the service operations.

Andie and her husband Terrance are proud to live, work, and play in Durham. Approaching 12 years of service to Big Brothers Big Sisters, Andie continues her mission to make a difference in the lives of youth.