Big Brothers Big Sisters of Fond du Lac County is growing, so what's next? A bigger building is in the works.
FOND DU LAC – Big Brothers Big Sisters of Fond du Lac County will soon settle into a new, larger space in the area.
The program is purchasing a building at 987 S. Main St. and will move from its Military Road location after the sale is finalized in August.
The building houses Blue Door Consulting, which will move its branding and marketing services for Fond du Lac clients to its main Oshkosh location.
Over the last decade, BBBS has grown in the number of children it serves, as well as its staff, revenue and impact on the community, which Executive Director Tammy Young attributes to the amount of support it's received from the people of the Fond du Lac area.
"The future for BBBS is bright," she said. "We are blessed by the support we receive from the Fond du Lac community, and this new facility will allow our program to expand even further."
The program creates mentoring matches between local youth, called Littles, and adult mentors, called Bigs, where Bigs can engage in community-based or school-based activities to get to know each other, help their Little develop skills and offer them one-on-one support.
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BBBS also has after-school group mentoring opportunities, including groups in two age categories: Game Changers is for ages 8 to 12, and the Teen Group is for ages 13 to 17. The groups meet biweekly to meet with their peers and engage in skill building together.
The program has 135 enrolled who don't have a one-to-one mentor match yet, and for unmatched Littles, the program hosts other group activities at least once a month, which have included kickball, bingo, crafts and other special events.
According to BBBS board President Katie Reinke, the new location will provide more room for large group activities and allow for these activities to expand further.
"What is most exciting is the ability to have green space for on-site outdoor activities," she said.
Volunteer mentors are 16 or older, have a valid driver's license and undergo a background check. For more about Big Brothers Big Sisters, how to enroll a child or how to become a mentor, visit bbbsfdl.org.
Daphne Lemke is the Streetwise reporter for the Fond du Lac Reporter. Contact her at dlemke@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Fond du Lac Reporter: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Fond du Lac County moving to bigger site
