Email: bbbsmonett@bigbro.com

Out of a need to serve children in the Monett area and incredible, local community support, a program began in Monett Middle School during the Fall of 2010. Twenty middle school students met with their Big Brother or Big Sister each Tuesday during the school year. They met for an hour together in the middle school cafeteria. They did homework, talked, listened, and played board games. They listened to speakers and discussed different topics such as making wise choices, personal hygiene, problem solving, peer pressure, helping others, bullying, and telling the truth.

Several students showed improvement regarding grades, attendance, tardiness, less OSS/ISS time and significant improvement in their attitude and behavior. This was indicated by communication with the students' teachers, counselors, and principal throughout the school year.

Our plans are to expand into the other schools in our district if funding and volunteers support our cause, first adding more middle school students and then the intermediate students. In order to accommodate more students, we need more volunteers who are willing to give 1 hour a week to make a difference in a kid's life. We also need financial assistance to keep the program functioning. These donations provide necessary provisions for the kids: refreshments, t-shirts, supplies, and the coordinators' courses to help serve the Littles throughout the school year.

Donations from Jack Henry and Associates, Efco Corporation, Barry Lawrence Area United Fund, The FOCUS GROUPS, CNB, IDF, Walmart and personal donations from James and Kelley Cloud were tremendously appreciated to help make this year a success. They stepped out in faith to help get this program started. These donations bought t-shirts, refreshments, games, needed supplies for activities and other incidentals.

Nancy Noll-Meyer, Jay Apostol, Barbara Foster, John Jungermann, the school board members, the Monett Times, especially Lisa Craft, and of course our BBBS staff of volunteers were instrumental with all their help and support getting this started in our school.

The program's success is primarily based on the generous amounts of time these volunteers gave.

If you are interested in donating your time or money to the Monett Big Brothers Big Sisters program, please contact  bbbsmonett@bigbro.com or (417) 889.9136.