Program offers mentors to Cathedral youth

By KATIE LEFEBVRE, Globe staff reporter
(Email Katie)

A new mentoring program at Cathedral of the Epiphany helps at-risk youth.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Siouxland has partnered with Cathedral in Sioux City to start this program.

"We saw the needs of kids at Cathedral," said Blanca Cancino-Magana, an employee at Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) of Siouxland and parishioner at Cathedral. "We had the funding and Cathedral had the kids and the place. The volunteers and the kids are parishioners at Cathedral. It is another extension of the BBBS program. It is another way for us to reach to the Hispanic community."

Santa Fernandez, Hispanic pastoral minister at Cathedral, said when Cancino-Magana proposed the program, she thought, "Why not?"

"We saw the potential with the people and families at Cathedral," said Fernandez. "The families appreciate it. We help the kids find themselves. The kids change a lot."

The mission of BBBS is to empower youth through mentoring. The core values of the organization are quality, integrity, diversity, responsiveness and efficiency.

The program began in April. There are currently six matches between student and Big Brother or Big Sister at Cathedral. There are two students on a waiting list.

According to Cancino-Magana, the program is for "any child that has a need for a mentor or is lacking academically or in a family setting. We try to help as much as we can. Most of them are kids at-risk, some with low grades. A lot of their parents are not able to help them because of the language barrier."

The Big Brother or Big Sister is a parishioner at Cathedral, who is 16 or older. This is a way for the mentors to give back to the community, she mentioned.

"We ask for references," said Cancino-Magana. "If they are over the age of 18, we do a background check to make sure that they have no child abuse records. They are safe to be around. I am always here so they are never alone."

The matches meet on Tuesdays from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the Epiphany Center in Sioux City. Once a month, the whole group participates in an activity such as an ice cream karaoke night or a picnic.

The other evenings are one-on-one activities with the student and their Big Brother or Big Sister. They play board games, read and do homework once school starts. One adult is teaching the student how to play the guitar.

"Where the kids are struggling is where the mentor will come in to help them through it," said Cancino-Magana. "It is a friendship that has to develop. It is sharing what you already know with the younger kids. I hope the kids learn to share their talents with others."

She added that in a family setting the child has to share their parents with their siblings. In the BBBS program, it is just the child and their mentor. They don't have to share that person with anyone else.

Since the program is so new, Cancino-Magana mentioned that the program does not have a name. For now it is referred to as the Big Brother Big Sister's partnership with Cathedral until a name is decided on.

"Anyone is welcome to come and see what the program is," said Fernandez. "If they like it, they are welcome to join. We hope the program grows."

There are mentor trainings once a month. The next training is Aug. 12 about bullying.

The program is free. Anyone interested in participating in the program should contact Blanca Cancino-Magana at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Siouxland or Santa Fernandez at Cathedral.

Home