BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The Osborne Association and Big Brothers Big Sisters are teaming up to recruit more mentors for children and teens across the Buffalo area, with organizers hoping to connect more young people with trusted adults who can provide guidance and support.
For 15-year-old Nivayah Bennet, having that kind of relationship has made a difference in her life.
Nivayah and her mother, Tanya, said Nivayah's older sister, Candace, has been a steady source of support, particularly after Nivayah's father, who had been incarcerated, died nearly two years ago.
"She is important. Really, I love her kids. She brings her kids around me. I love her husband. They are all really nice to me,” Nivayah said. "I like Miss Candace a lot. She takes me places I like."
Nivayah said having people to talk to and activities to keep her occupied helped her cope with her father's death.
"It was good because I actually had people to talk about it and things to do," she said. "It helped not think about what happened when he died."
That kind of support is at the center of the Osborne Association's Strengthening Community program, which provides one-on-one mentoring to children ages 6 to 17 who have an incarcerated parent and live in Erie or Niagara counties.
The program is being offered through a partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Erie, Niagara and the Southern Tier. In addition to one-on-one mentoring, the program includes monthly activities, caregiver and family engagement opportunities and other services intended to strengthen connections within the community.
Demetrius Brooks, a senior case manager with Big Brothers Big Sisters, said the organizations are looking to recruit more mentors.
"We are looking to match 75 kids, so we are looking for mentors, mostly male mentors, but everyone is welcome to apply and join us if you are 18 and up and you have a couple hours to give to a youth every month," Brooks said.
Brooks said mentors can spend time with young people through activities and shared experiences.
"You get to hang out and have fun with a young person and also be able to enrich their life," he said.
WATCH: 'She has helped me a lot!': Buffalo-area program seeks mentors for youth with incarcerated parents
Brooks also cited research that he said shows positive long-term outcomes for young people who participate in mentoring programs. He said studies have found increases in lifetime earnings and college attendance, as well as a reduction in socioeconomic disparities.
Nivayah said she believes having a trusted mentor can give young people someone outside their immediate family to turn to.
"Maybe because something happened in their life that they can't talk about to their actual family, and they can talk about it to someone else that they trust that has been there for a while," she said.
For Nivayah, that person has been Candace.
And she believes other young people could benefit from having someone like her big sister in their corner — someone to guide them, support them and be there when they need it most.
People interested in becoming a mentor or enrolling a young person in the program can find more information you can click here.
