Lauren Beeman –

The sole purpose of the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization is to encourage a one-on-one mentorship between a young adult and a child through monthly gatherings and social outings since 1904.

For several Quincy University students, the opportunity to be a part of such an organization promised a rewarding experience as well as a chance to give back to the community. Additionally, students are able to count their volunteer hours towards the Franciscan Service Scholarship.

QU Junior Nick Nosbich was one of the first students to jump at the opportunity to volunteer with Big Brothers Big Sisters. Nosbich began volunteering with the organization at the start of the spring semester in Jan. 2016.

“Volunteering has always been an important aspect in my life,” Nosbich said.   “By being given the opportunity to have a positive impact on someone’s life, I figured I should give it a shot.”

Nosbich said he and his little brother have built a positive relationship, and he enjoys the opportunity to grow as a person along with his “little”. Nosbich and his little brother enjoy going out to eat and playing sports, so their monthly get-togethers are easy and mutually enjoyable.

The organization expects volunteers and little siblings to meet several times a month, or at least keep to a scheduled, structured meeting time. Additionally, Big Brothers Big Sisters asks the volunteers to keep spending on their little sibling to a minimum.

The organization provides volunteers with a discount card that allows them to receive promotions and perks to cut cost. Several local places like TCBY, Scottie’s Fun Spot and the Kroc Center provide different services to participants and volunteers.

The process to become a Big Brothers Big Sisters volunteer is lengthy. A background check, driver’s license and insurance check plus additional paperwork are all involved before a volunteer can be approved.

However, the application process does not appear to deter students from volunteering. Sophomore Darek Lambert thinks the process is worth the end result and welcomed the opportunity to volunteer for organization.

“I wanted to make a difference in a child’s life. More than that, I wanted to provide a child with a positive male role model, that may or may not be absent in his or her life,” Lambert said.

Lambert started volunteering in Feb. 2016. He was inspired to begin volunteering because his father had done it years prior. He was also encouraged to join the cause by Nosbich, who aided Lambert in the application process.

“Big Brothers Big Sisters really hopes that an honest friendship forms between ‘little’ and ‘big’ and so that’s what we work towards,” Nosbich said.

The Quincy chapter currently has about 50 unmatched children, so applications are always encouraged and welcomed.  Any student interested can contact the Quincy chapter by emailing Mona Hayes at ramonah@bbbswci.org