World Kindness Day is celebrated every year on the 13th of November. This year marked its 21st year of existence after being instated by the World Kindness Movement in 1998. Every year I try to do something that actively show kindness, whether that be to tell a random girl that I love her nails, pay for the person behind me in line, or call a friend that I haven’t spoken to in a while to tell them that I love them. This school year, I decided I wanted to get back into volunteering since I hadn’t really done so since high school. Then a couple of weeks ago, a representative from Big Brothers Big Sisters of Riverside came to lecture in my civic engagement class.
(Photo via Classy)
She came to talk to us about the importance of having a mentor, and specifically how important it is for kids who live in the Inland Empire. The organization’s studies show that 33% of the youth of America grow up without a positive role model and 68% of the youth that are matched with a Big live below the poverty line. In surveys taken at the end of a Little’s high school career, 100% say that they attribute their success to their Big. The data is clear-having someone to look up to really matters to kids. For the hour and a half long lecture, I was completely captivated; I knew immediately that this was the organization I wanted to get involved with.
I spoke with the representative and signed up for the email list. The second I got home I hopped on my computer and signed up for an orientation. While my date did fall on the day after World Kindness Day, I felt like this was an amazing thing to do for the spirit of the observance. I’m writing this an hour after the orientation and I am even more inspired and excited to get involved. I’ve scheduled my interview, given my references, and hopefully, sometime very soon, I will get a Little. I love kids; I’ve babysat and taught kids in every job that I’ve had, so it warms my heart to know that I will have the opportunity to impact a kid’s life through volunteering as well.
(Photo via Disney Parks)
If you want to get involved go to the Big Brothers Big Sisters website and click on the volunteer tab. There are orientations you can sign up for and they give you all the information there. All it takes to be a mentor and change a kid’s life is to be 18 years old, have a driver’s license/insurance, and the ability to spend 3 hours twice a month with your Little. It takes so little to make an impact on someone in your community.