Big Brothers Big Sisters marks 20th anniversary

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri is celebrating 20 years in Cape Girardeau this week, but the story is bigger than a celebratory ribbon cutting, bigger even than the thousands of people who have benefited from the one-to-one mentorship program the organization is best known for.

The more than 2,000 matches and more than 6,000 people touched by the program, as mentioned on bbbsemo.org/cape-20/, refers only to participants in that one-to-one mentorship program, said Becky Hatter, BBBSEMO CEO and president.

"In addition to that, we have a districtwide partnership with the school district for our ABCToday program," Hatter said. The program is a collective impact model, and tracks and responds to the ABCs: attendance, behavior and course performance. About 4,000 students in 9 buildings in the Cape Girardeau school district benefit.

Many community partners form a unique network at each school building, Hatter said, and together with each building's principal, they work toward best outcomes.

That started in 2006, Hatter said, and in 2014, a third program allows service to bridge to early adulthood: Big Futures.

"It gives our alumni littles a support system and bridge to young adult life," Hatter said. "Our families have different barriers, and our littles might not be introduced to post secondary opportunities, whether that's work, a trade school, college or the military."

Ashley Seiler, southern region executive director with BBBSEMO, joined the agency in 2003, and was one of three full-time staff members. Since then, through developing relationships with partners, families and volunteers, the Cape Girardeau office has grown to include seven full-time and one part-time staff.

"It's really trying to understand how to help kids in our community, and the entire community," Seiler said. "A huge part of what we do is ensuring we don't leave these kids when they graduate. Support and encouragement during some of the most important parts of their lives, deciding what to do with themselves."

Seiler said she's known one family since the daughter was in second grade, and she's now in graduate school. "It's really cool to have the trust of these families who want to invite us in, stay connected, and now we're talking next generation."

Southeast Missouri State University has historically played a huge role with the Cape Girardeau chapter, Hatter said. From the initial grant that helped open the office to now providing volunteers to be mentors and support for graduating littles who attend there, they've been instrumental, she said.

Mentoring a little brother or sister involves a trusted partnership with the entire family, Seiler said.

"It's a big deal for us, and we take that responsibility very seriously," Seiler said. "We really want the parents' voice. We're supporting this family in every way possible."

Hatter said the Cape Girardeau community is exceptional. "They found us initially and ultimately, we expanded our service area to include this region," Hatter said. Previously, the organization had been Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater St. Louis Area, but adding Cape Girardeau meant a rebrand, she said.

Cape Girardeau County Commissioner Charlie Herbst was one of the initial three people working to bring the organization to Cape Girardeau, along with former KFVS-12 news anchor Dave Courvoisier and Jason Crowell, past Missouri House Representative and State Senator.

At the time, Herbst said, in about 1998, he was a police officer working in the community, looking for ways to develop relationships with positive role models. Courvoisier had been involved with BBBS in southern Nevada for several years, Herbst said, and the two teamed up to figure out the best way to establish a chapter in Cape Girardeau.

Jason Crowell, then a young attorney, joined up when they needed some legal input, Herbst said.

In a news release, Crowell said, "We saw a great need for mentoring and thought that Big Brothers Big Sisters's mission best fit our area. We historically had strong Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts but nothing like BBBS."

Many, many other people were involved in the early process, Herbst said, and helped put together a business plan and earnest money -- required to start a chapter.

The first application was not accepted.

But, since Courvoisier had been a BBBS chapter president in Nevada, he called Hatter, who worked with the board members in St. Louis to make it work, Herbst said.

"They took a leap of faith in St. Louis to expand their service area," Herbst said.

Herbst added that Seiler has kept data to show direct influence of the program on participants' lives, including improved outcomes, graduation numbers, but beyond those numbers are the small but important measures.

One "little" had several tardies, for example, Herbst said, and the mentor asked the family why. Come to find out, the mother worked overnights and wasn't always able to get the little up in the mornings, so BBBS provided an alarm clock.

That event and others like it morphed into the ABCToday program, Herbst said, which works with the whole picture of a student's life to help lower barriers to education.

Herbst has had two little brothers himself, he said. "It's not just being a good friend to them, picking them up from school for McDonald's or playing ball," Herbst said. "It's being that support for him in school, help with simple things, providing moral support."

And, he said, the office supports more than just the city of Cape Girardeau. "We have littles and bigs in Cape, Jackson, Scott City," he said. "We're embedded in the entire county."

And when families move, the support can move with them.

Herbst's little brother's family moved to another state almost three years ago, he said. "My goal was to ensure that young man graduated high school. I told him I would see him graduate. That's what we do."

"This anniversary is a special milestone honoring the many deep commitments that have brought significant improvements in youth outcomes. It's an exciting occasion to appreciate the many people who've made our work possible," Hatter said. "And getting to look back on these 20 years with everyone who powered this effort is going to be great fun. We're looking forward to reminiscing and re-imagining together."

As part of the 20th anniversary celebration, BBBSEMO will also bring "Thank You Squad" deliveries to families, volunteers, donors, schools, and other key supporters. More information will be at bbbsemo.org/cape-20.