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Big Brothers Big Sisters Looks to Companies for Kid Mentors

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County marked its 50th anniversary in May by wining and dining more than 600 people who’ve given time and money to the Tustin-based nonprofit.

The appreciation gala, held at the Disneyland Hotel, gave Big Brothers Big Sisters a chance to show how far it’s come while treating supporters to gourmet food and entertainment, according to Chief Executive Gustavo Valdespino.

“Fifty years is a major milestone for us,” he said. “We wanted to show our appreciation to all of the people who have donated their time and resources to us.”

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County is part of an international nonprofit whose mission is to provide kids with one-on-one relationships with mentors.

The group got its start in 1904 in New York and now is in all 50 states and 12 countries.

The Orange County chapter started in 1958 and targets poor kids with single parents.

The average child the local chapter works with is about 12 years old and Hispanic, according to Valdespino. A good chunk of the children are boys without dads, he said.

The agency looks for adults who are willing to carry on consistent relationships with kids who are vulnerable to crime, drug use and other problems.

“It’s been documented that there’s a lower rate of high school dropouts, drug use, pregnancy and gang involvement through a mentoring process,” Valdespino said.

The local chapter of Big Brothers Big Sisters has fostered nearly 1,000 relationships between mentors, who are known as “bigs,” and children, who are called “littles.”

Relationships between bigs and littles aren’t about spending money,they’re about hanging out, Valdespino said.

Matches can span anywhere from one year to several years until the kid turns 18, he said.

“But the goal is to create a lifelong friendship,” Valdespino said.

The nonprofit typically spends about $1,500 on each big and little match. Much of the cost goes for in-depth interviewing and screening of adults to head off risks to the kids, he said.

This year, Big Brothers Big Sisters expects to serve 1,500 kids through mentoring, after school tutoring and special events.

Big Brothers Big Sisters runs lean.

The nonprofit employs 32 workers and has an annual budget of about $2.2 million through a grant from the U.S. Department of Education and giving from people, companies and foundations, according to Valdespino.

“We basically have to raise money for everything that we spend,” he said.

Big Brothers Big Sisters wants to grow its operating budget to $4 million by 2012 so that it can help 3,000 children, Valdespino said.

The May gala was part of the effort.

It’s the first Big Brothers Big Sisters has thrown as it tries to strengthen relations with volunteers and donors and tries to garner support from more people and businesses.

Al Crosson, former president of ConAgra Foods Inc.’s Hunt-Wesson Foods unit that used to be in Fullerton, co-sponsored the event.

Crosson has sat on the board of Big Brothers Big Sisters since 1967 and has given money to the charity since.

He’s mum about how much he has given through the years. This year, he said he’s committed to giving $80,000.


Cheerleaders

Crosson and other board members, including some 40 businesspeople, act as the nonprofit’s cheerleaders.

“We have to get the word out,” said Chairman Peter Desforges, who’s also president of real estate developer Wohl Investment Co. of Newport Beach.

Board members are expected to raise money and use their contacts to bring in other donors.

They also help recruit more members, Desforges said.

Given the county’s wealth, there’s a need to raise awareness about helping residents who aren’t as well off, said Kyle Wescoat, a board member and chief financial officer for Irvine-based television seller Vizio Inc.

“I’ve lived in Orange County for 20 years and the county’s face has changed dramatically in terms of ethnicity and diversity,” Wescoat said. “There’s more of a striking divergence of the haves and the have nots.”

Sean Sherlock, an environmental law partner at the Costa Mesa office of Snell & Wilmer LLP, has been a big for 11 years. Sherlock became a volunteer in 1997 and was matched with a boy named Derek.

The two have spent time together by playing sports and fishing, Sherlock said.

“I wanted to find a way to give back to the community,” Sherlock said. “There are a lot of children without responsible adult role models.”

Now that Derek is set to graduate from high school and attend the University of Southern California with a full scholarship, the match is set to officially close.

Even though the match is coming to an end, Sherlock views Derek as a life long friend. He’s now a mentor for Sherlock’s own children, he said.

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