January marks the 15th annual National Mentoring Month, and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Butler County is participating in the campaign to connect more young people with caring adult mentors.

Dan Steighner, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Butler County director, said, “This will be our 22nd year. We started in 1995. We currently have 30 children matched with a Big Brother or Big Sister, and we currently have another 30 children on the waiting list. That's throughout Butler County.”

Steighner said the organization's main office is at the Butler YMCA at 313 N. Washington St., with a satellite office at the Rose E. Schneider Family YMCA in Cranberry Township, but participants either as youths or Big Brothers and Sisters, don't have to be members of the YMCA.

“A group of people in 1995 decided Big Brothers and Big Sisters was needed in the county. Many were on the board of directors of the Y, and they got it started and got the program running,” said Steighner.

In other counties, such as Lawrence, Big Brothers Big Sisters is part of the county youth services department.

However it is structured, Taylor Gall, program specialist, said Big Brothers Big Sisters matches adult volunteers with children between the ages of 6 and 17.

Gall said other than being at least 18 and passing a background check there are no special qualifications for being a Big Brother Big Sister volunteer.

“We have all kinds. We have college students, retirees, single people. We have couples that do it as well,” said Gall.

Children between 6 and 17 and living in the county are eligible to participate as littles, she said.

“We do a lengthy intake process. I do a home visit to make sure there are no behavioral issues that would make it unsafe for the volunteer or the child to be in public,” she said.

Steighner said littles “aren't just those coming from a single-parent home or foster children or a low income (family).”

“It's just a child that needs an extra caring person in their life. It could be someone whose parents are divorced who needs a male role model,” he said.

“Maybe it's a child living with grandparents who really can't keep up with a youngster,” said Steighner.

Being a “big,” according to Gall, means being available to hang out and spend time with a little brother or sister.

“It doesn't have to be anything expensive. It could be a walk in the park, reading a comic book together,” she said.

Steighner said by giving as little as a couple of hours two or three times a month, mentors have a chance to change a child's life for the better.

“There's no set limit how much time to spend with your 'little,'” said Gall. “I'm not a numbers girl. But we want you to be consistent. There is no consistency with a lot of these people.”

“We want, when someone signs up, to do so for at least a year,” Gall said.

The relationship can last until the little graduates from high school and ages out of the program, Steighner said, but relationships can last much longer.

“People have been in their little's wedding,” he said.

Steighner said that in addition to individual outings, the organization has group outings for bigs and littles, as well as those children yet to be matched with a big.

“We call it the C.O.U.L. meeting, the Club of Unmatched Littles,” said Steighner. “It could be laser tag or a swimming party or horseback riding.”

Since the first of year, Gall said, “I've had two or three inquiries, but I need more.”

Anyone interested in becoming a Big Brother or Big Sister or in referring a child to the program, should contact Gall at 724-287-4733, Ext. 126, or at tgall@bcfymca.org.