MENTOR GROUP UP AND RUNNING NEXT MONTH

A Big Brothers Big Sisters of America chapter in Cape Girardeau County should be up and running by the end of September.

The organization, which matches children and adult volunteers to provide children with a positive adult role model, should be operational by Sept. 15, said Becky James, president and chief executive officer of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater St. Louis. In June, James' organization agreed to sponsor development of a Cape Girardeau affiliate.

A local steering committee headed by KFVS 12 news anchor Dave Courvoisier has been working for more than a year to bring the mentoring organization to the county.

"He has really been one of the outstanding champions for this, along with the rest of the steering committee," said James of Courvoisier's involvement. "We're very, very excited about how responsive Cape has been."

Courvoisier said Cape Girardeau's affiliation with the St. Louis chapter will be beneficial to both agencies. While the final agreement has not been hammered out, Courvoisier said two community members will likely be named to the St. Louis chapter's board of directors. The urban agency also is changing its name to reflect its commitment to a larger region that includes Cape Girardeau County.

"They're renaming their organization to the Eastern Missouri Big Brothers and Big Sisters to show they are accommodating themselves for us," he said. "We're a part of the whole. We're not a satellite office, we're not a branch."

He said the affiliation will mean local staff will have access to a chapter that was named the top chapter in the country for its quality service and management by the national organization.

A program director and case manager should be hired by the end of next week. The two will work with a local steering committee and staff in St. Louis to establish 50 to 100 child-adult matches by the end of the year.

The local office will be located at 1028 N. Kingshighway in the Blattner Building.

"The location represents our commitment to Cape Girardeau and Jackson," James said. "We are trying to really focus on Cape and Jackson matches for the moment. The exact plan will be rolled out as soon as we have the staff."

James said there likely will be many opportunities for the local chapter to work with existing agencies in the community. The goal of Big Brothers Big Sisters is to assist other groups in providing services, she said.

"We have had a long-standing reputation of being great collaborators," said James. "We do not service a community alone, and so our staff down there will know that and will be reaching out to other agencies. That really is a mandate."

National organization guidelines require agencies to raise at least $100,000 annually for budget expenses. James doesn't foresee a problem meeting an expanded budget for her agency and the local chapter, which will receive funding from the Area Wide United Way next year.

She said a "diverse funding strategy" that could include help from new and existing corporate sponsors and community fund-raisers like the national "Bowl For Kids' Sake" should provide the financial resources the chapter will need.

"We're really getting a great response from the community," said Courvoisier. "Basically what we raise goes to them, but regardless of what we raise, they're going to still run our office with the same efficiency and the same high standards that we're committed to. I expect the money issue to always he there but never to be a stumbling block for us.".