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 Home > About Us > Programs > Community-Based Programs COMMUNITY & SPECIAL PRIORITY PROGRAMS
The foundation of our program for a century, this program matches low-income youth, often from single-parent homes, between the ages of 7 and 17, with a carefully screened adult role model 21 years or older. "Bigs", who have completed "Skills to Mentor Youth" volunteer training, meet with youngsters at least every other week, for four hours and maintain regular phone contact. Each one-to-one relationship is also supported by a social worker responsible for supervision. Research has found that youth participating in the program show a 67% improvement in school attendance, a 69% improvement in grades and a 91% increase in self-esteem, a 77% improvement in self-confidence, and a 64% improvement in relationships with peers.
The Bronx and Queens Borough Partnership Programs were established and designed
in order to bring more caring adults into the lives of youth living in the Bronx and Queens
communities and to actively recruit volunteers throughout the neighborhood.
* 9/11 TOGETHER WE STAND PROGRAM * FDNY PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM
The program, initiated in Queens, the most ethnically diverse county in the U.S., helps immigrant youth (ages 7-17) overcome obstacles they may face. Adjusting to a new culture, language and customs, these youngsters often experience feelings of loneliness, isolation and prejudice as well as the stresses of negotiating between their Chinese traditions and the urban American environment in which they are growing up. To date participants in the program represent over 50 different nations. Foreign language newspapers have consistently hailed this program, and response from both the youth and volunteers has been tremendous. 96% of clients who were matched for one year showed significant improvement in psychological resiliency. The success of the New American Partnership prompted the extension of this program to include the Chinese community, the second largest foreign-born group in New York City.
This program provides special training to female mentors who give emotional support to pregnant teens or teenage mothers. In addition, social workers provide housing, healthcare, career, education and childcare information. Through these matches, the teenage mothers increase their feeling of self-worth and learn to become more self-sufficient. Research shows that connecting young mothers to society enables them to avoid further unwanted pregnancies and long-term dependence on welfare. 100% of the young mothers showed measurable improvement in school performance, motivation and attendance after being matched for at least six months.
Launched in the spring of 2005, this program uses the proven one-to-one mentoring model to help low-income youth, between the ages of 7 and 17, who have disabilities, overcome the effects of social and educational exclusion which they face from an early age. Mentors must show a commitment to working with this particularly vulnerable young population, and they receive specialized training on disabilities and how to provide empowering support. The program also includes special group activities that provide fun and positive challenges. In addition, support services are provided to parents and siblings. Specific program criteria:
In January of 2001, BBBS NYC used a grant from the administration for Children's Services to create its first ever borough program in East New York, one of the city's poorest neighborhoods (with "margin-top: 0" 67% of children living in poor families) and one of the highest youth crime rates. The pilot program was initiated as a foster care prevention program, targeting children at risk of being removed from their home and placed into foster care. The program is operated as a one-to-one mentoring program. However, youth participating in the program are transported on a bi-monthly basis to Manhattan to meet with their matches. Matches spend time one-to-one as well as with a group, participating in scheduled activities that help to broaden the horizons of the participating youth, many of whom had not traveled beyond their neighborhood. A professional BBBS social worker oversees matches on a regular basis. Youth participating in this program receive additional counseling and support services from BBBS NYC staff, and their families receive a wide array of support services through the East New York office, providing family counseling, drug/alcohol abuse services, career counseling and more. By working with both families and youth, the program aims to stabilize the entire family so they can stay together. East New York Family Care and Mentoring
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