"It does not take a lot of money or time, because it is the small things that can make an impact," Price said. "It is a wonderful thing to make an impact on a child's life."
Price has worked at Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Tri-State for 31 years and received her education at Marshall University. She graduated with a BA in Rehabilitation Education and also received her MA from Marshall in Counseling.
Big Brothers Big Sisters was established nationally in 1910 in Cincinnati by Irvin Westheimer. According to the Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Tri-State's website, the local branch of the organization was established in 1974 by a small group of citizens who were concerned about the well-being of children growing up in single parent homes.
The mission of the organization is to provide guidance and companionship to youth through a one-to-one relationship with a caring volunteer to assist them in achieving their highest potential.
Big Brothers Big Sisters has two main programs that it uses to achieve its mission: community based mentoring and school based mentoring.
Community based mentoring is a program in which the "Big" or volunteer is screened and matched with a child who is in need of support and guidance. The Big can then pick up their little brother or sister and take them to different places around the community such as the park, movies or out to lunch, as long as their is parental permission. The main goal of this program is friendship.
School based mentoring is a program in which the volunteers spend 1 hour a week with their little brother or sister for the entire school year. It is a way to reach more children and also open up availability to more volunteers who might not have enough time to participate in the community based program. Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Tri-State reaches out to many schools in the area, including schools in Cabell, Wayne, Boyd, and Greenup Counties.
"One hour a week such as a lunch hour spent reading and helping a child with some homework can go a long way," Price said.
With programs such as these that require the work of volunteers, it is always a priority to recruit new people to volunteer their time and effort. A recruiting campaign that Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Tri-State is participating in is called the Tell-a-Guy Campaign.
It is a campaign specifically targeting male volunteers to help with the programs. Their is a significant lack of male volunteers, and they are hoping this campaign will help fill some of the holes that a lack of male workers has left.
Like any non-profit organization, fundraising is a huge part of what goes on at Big Brothers Big Sisters.
"We receive money and grants from the United Way, but fundraising is a big part of what we do here," Price said.
One of the biggest fundraisers they run each year is the annual christmas tree sale. It begins November 28th and is very important to the budget of the organization. According to the Big Brothers Big Sisters website, the local christmas tree sale raised $32,000 last year.
There will be three locations where the trees will be sold: the BB&T bank located on 1st St. and Adams Ave., Eastern Heights Shopping Center, and the Ashland Tennis Center. They are also looking for recruits to volunteer their time and help with shifts of selling the trees.
Price also stressed the need for volunteer mentors. "We always need mentors. If someone is interested, they can call or e-mail us to begin the screening process and training."
The Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Tri-State's website had some startling statistics. Researchers found that after going through a mentoring program, little brothers and little sisters were, "46 percent less likely to use illegal drugs, 27 percent less likely to start using alcohol, 53 percent less likely to skip school, and 37 percent less likely to skip a class."
After seeing statistics like those, it shows the Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Tri-State is part of a "big thing", doing the little things that make an impact in a child's life.
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