“It’s a way of just growing our communities. Making sure that if anyone has a hard road ahead, we step in and redirect them in a positive way so our younger community continues to be a better place,” said Alicia Brown, marketing director for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ventura County.

The organization is seeking out new volunteers, so BBSVC Vice President of Programs Danica Selvaggio had an information table on the Spine Sept. 27 to spread their mission statement and recruit students.

“We’re looking for students who have one or two days a week to help build one-on-one relationships with children from the elementary schools working on a set curriculum,” Brown said.

BBSVC is a non-profit organization focused on providing children who face adversity with one-on-one mentoring relationships.

The curriculum stretches from fun and play to interactive communication such as goal setting, sharing ideas and writing about what they are thankful for.

“For volunteers, it’s all about finding what each individual person has to offer and matching people that share similar interests and hobbies,” Selvaggio said. “For example, if we have a mentor who is really into skateboarding, we want to pair them with someone who wants to learn how to skateboard or who has never had the opportunity.”

The differences being made among youth in the community extend past having a role model to look up to. According to the BBSVC website, kids involved in the program are more likely to do well in school, have higher self-confidence and respect authority.

Junior Laura Brasil is participating in a CEO administration internship with BBSVC and is especially fond of the difference the organization makes in the community.

“They offered me the internship [and] I have been working in their offices. I saw that this was a nonprofit and knew that this was what I wanted to do in terms of my future so I reached out,” Brasil said.

Volunteers can sign up on the BBSVC website and follow the organization on Facebook and Instagram @BBSVC.

Scott Roberts
Reporter