SIDNEY — Big Brothers Big Sisters of Shelby & Darke County creates and supports one-to-one mentoring relationships between adults and youths. It creatively organizes several opportunities to help kids needing a mentor for their social or career development and will use Community Foundation Match Day gifts to bolster those programs.
“Our Match Day funding will go toward our 11 site-based programs located in both Shelby and Darke counties. These programs include Career Quest, seven Big Buddies programs, two Lunch Buddies programs, and Sports Buddies,” said Jennifer Bruns, executive director.
“Most people are familiar with our traditional Big/Little matches and Big Buddies after school programs. The Career Quest program pairs students in the Shelby County Opportunity School with a career mentor who helps the student get on track for graduation and prepared for future careers. The Lunch Buddies program at Jackson Center Elementary School matches an adult with a second or third grade student during lunch once a week to work on school work or play games. Sports Buddies matches Bigs and Littles who enjoy attending designated sporting events that are also attended by Bigs staff.”
To support Big Brothers Big Sisters on Match Day, gifts must be made payable to the Community Foundation of Shelby County with: Match/Bigs noted on the memo or in an accompanying note or form. Details and forms are available at the Community Foundation website at commfoun.com and at Big Brothers Big Sisters, 121 E. North St., Sidney or 205 E. Fourth St., Greenville. Gifts must be received on or before Nov. 30 to be eligible for matching money. Credit card gifts may be made only on Nov. 30.
The Community Foundation of Shelby County holds its Match Day event annually on Giving Tuesday. Twenty-three local charities will ask supporters to make a gift to the Community Foundation that will be matched up to a total of $5,000 per charity.
Match Day participating organizations have a 501(c)(3) tax status and an organization fund within the Community Foundation of Shelby County with an asset balance exceeding the Foundation’s fund minimum. Gifts received will not be placed into an organization’s fund, but instead will be returned to the organization for its work in the community.
