Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ventura County & Delivery Solutions Mark Ten Year Association
 Terri Felix This year Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) of Ventura County and DSI celebrate ten years of a shared commitment to make a difference in the life a child. “DSI has been instrumental in helping us raise over a million dollars,” says Terri Felix, BBBS Chief Development Officer.
DSI President and CEO Dave Thompson, who co-chairs the BBBS fund raising golf event, “has helped raise the visibility of the tournament, brought in sponsors and golfers, and contributed new ideas for enhancement of our tournament,” she says. The annual event is the largest fund-raiser for the BBBSVentura County organization.
Delivery Solutions management believes that everyone can and should give back to the youth of our communities, and is committed to playing an important role in this endeavor.
Terri estimates it costs approximately $1,200 to match one “Big” with his or her respective “Little.” “We don’t automatically accept the next person to volunteer, or take the next child in line. We perform extensive background checks on potential “Bigs,” and hire trained professionals to finalize the matches.
“And we don’t stop there. We offer ongoing one-on-one support for every “Big”and “Little,” and fund educational and cultural activities for the youth in our mentoring programs,” she says. “We’re proud that over 85% of every dollar we receive goes directly into the program.”
Terri points out that “A little over a thousand dollars annually to help a child reach full potential and realize their dreams is a small price to pay, especially when you consider the one hundred thousand dollar cost of maintaining a youth in prison.” Presently BBBS has over 160 children on the waiting list, and although “we might have mentors for them, we don’t have the staff in place to sustain this number of matches.” Our supporters, such as DSI, help us reduce the gap.”
BBBS has been in existence since 1904 and active in Ventura County since 1970. Terri has been with BBBS for five years and says that her move from the retail industry to the non-profit sector has been very rewarding. She tells the Dispatch that during the first six months alone of this year, BBBS has served 1,600 children weekly, ranging in age from 5 to 21 years old.
Golf Event Host Lynn Swann
with Little Brother Jacob and
Big Brother Don The national organization raised the age group from 18 to 21 when research revealed that over 50% of former foster children between 18 and 21 years old become homeless, land in jail, and if they are female, become pregnant. “This is a huge issue,” Terri explained. BBBS stepped in to fill that gap and “research shows that what we’re doing works.” In fact, Terri hopes to be able to direct more resources to follow up research. Although they’ve only begun, the informal results they’ve acquired so far are very encouraging.
DSI’s generosity in both time and commitment to funding the ongoing work of BBBS in all areas, will help the organization reach its goal of “working with 2,012 children by 2012.”
“BBBS of Ventura County is a local organization with integrity and a track record of proven results,” explains Thompson, “all of us at DSI are honored and privileged to work with this great group to make a difference in the lives of these kids.” |
