Local Mentoring Coordinator for BBBS of NYC's Bronx Volunteer Coalition: Bringing More Volunteer Mentors to the Most Disadvantaged Communities in NYC

OJJDP supports wide-ranging mentoring initiatives to reduce juvenile delinquency, gang involvement, academic failure, victimization, and school dropout rates. While mentoring is traditionally a volunteer-based service, a need exists for staff and resources to support the efforts of each mentoring program. Developing and maintaining mentoring partnerships and collaboratives can build capacity and increase the power of mentoring to benefit more young people. Local mentoring partnerships and collaboratives can bring together public and private sector leadership, eliminate duplication of efforts, fill service gaps, and offer centralized services. The successful award recipient(s) will fund a coordinator position to support a local continuum of mentoring services for targeted youth.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of NYC (BBBC of NYC) will support the continued work of the Local Mentoring Coordinator, who leads the successful Bronx Volunteer Coalition (BVC). The goal for continued funding in the second year of the Coalition is to build on the success of the first year in creating a strong network for collaboration by working collectively with the 30 member agencies to: increase volunteerism in the Bronx, increase the number of local volunteer mentors, and consequently improve positive outcomes for at-risk Bronx youth. BBBS of NYC will work to increase marketing, training, and development resources for Coalition members, which will lead to a 20% average increase in the number of youth mentored at the seven BVC member agencies with mentoring programs (including BBBS of NYC), and 20% increase in volunteer recruitment. Funds will be used for: salary and benefits for the Local Mentoring Coordinator at BBBS of NYC and also the Chief Quality Assurance Officer; maintenance and promotion of web presence for the Coalition; print and online advertising activities; a Community Service Day and Networking Event, each with 100-200 participants, to promote mentoring; provision of online mentoring training opportunities to the members with mentoring programs; expanded use of the newly developed BVC website for sharing information/resources and promoting volunteerism; provision of individualized training and technical assistance in mentoring program administration to staff of these agencies; 2-5 mini-grants of $300-750 each for mentoring enhancement projects at the BVC members with mentoring programs. This will ensure the expansion of high-quality mentoring programs in tandem with increased volunteerism in the Bronx, meeting the needs of Bronx youth for evidence-based youth development programs. CA/NCF