FARMINGTON — With the help of a Venture Grant from the United Way in 2013, Big Brothers, Big Sisters “started our school-based program,” noted Tara Davis of Community Concepts at the April 30 Farmington Rotary meeting. “This is the second school year we’re going on, joining the community program.”

Davis, of Oxford, is a member of the Big Brothers, Big Sisters advisory board at Community Concepts. Davis explained that the “Bigs” and their “Littles”, or mentees, do many different activities together that enrich the lives of both.

According to its website, www.community-concepts.org/big-brothersbig-sisters, Big Brothers, Big Sisters matches children in its community program from ages 7 to 14 with mentors in one-on-one relationships. The mentoring programs take place in Franklin, Oxford, and Androscoggin counties.

Matches come together through Community Concepts’ two programs:

Community-based mentoring is the traditional Big Brothers Big Sisters relationship, where Bigs and Littles spend time together within the community, sharing fun activities they both enjoy! Matches in the community program are expected to meet an average of six hours a month, during a time established by the match and the parent/guardian of the Little.

Getting together is a great time for both the Big and the Little. It doesn’t require a special occasion or expensive activities; just a few hours every month to share the simple things they already enjoy doing. These activities could include shooting hoops, playing a board game, sharing a pizza, taking a walk in the park, or just hanging out and talking.

In school/site based mentoring programs, Bigs and Littles meet for one-to-one mentoring in the classroom, school library, cafeteria or other set location. Bigs and Littles typically meet once a week to read together, play sports or board games, eat lunch together, or simply talk about life and personal issues – just as friends do.

Davis said that the initial involvement includes a lot of paperwork, along with background checks and interviews.

“We also want to make sure the Big is a good match with the Little,” she said.

School matches get done in May and June, and the program continues until a match has graduated. The community-based program matches last about three years, said Davis.

The top Big Brothers, Big Sisters fundraiser is the Bowl for Kids Sake, which takes place at Meadow Lanes in Wilton on May 9.

“It’s a great time,” said Davis. “We really want to grow this program.”

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