Big Brothers Big Sisters is making an impact on youths in Shawano County, but more help is needed, according to Cassiti Schultz, program coordinator in northeast Wisconsin.
Schultz told the Shawano Common Council on June 10 her organization currently has 55 children, designated as “littles,” partnered with adults in the community, ranging from single people, couples, high school students and even full families. Thirteen of those children have been matched so far this year with 25 being the goal, and 20 were matched in 2025.
However, Schultz still has 16 children, eight boys and eight girls ages 7-15, who are still waiting for placement. She noted that 51% of the children who are part of the program in northeast Wisconsin, which encompasses Shawano, Brown and Door counties, are from a single-parent home, 20% are being cared for by grandparents or other relatives and 2% come from foster homes.
“Each of these littles has a story,” Schultz said. “Each of these little children’s experiences has led them to feel like: ‘Maybe something’s missing, and I would like an additional person in my life who could offer connections, support and time.’”
There are also site-based programs at schools in Shawano, Gresham, Tigerton and Wittenberg-Birnamwood. Schultz said activities are held once a week at those schools.
“Our mission is to reach families here in our county and offer an opportunity to get involved in the community, as well as volunteer in a unique way,” she said. “Our hope is that the youth in our program will be able to reach their full potential. A fun term we like to use for ‘bigs,’ our mentors, is that we are the ‘defenders of potential.’”
The bigs serve as role models, and their involvement depends on the time available, according to Schultz. Many of them get the littles involved in activities at least once a week, although some do every other week or monthly.
“A lot of the children in Shawano County experience significant poverty,” Schultz said. “Many of our littles fit in this category.”
There has been a lot of growth in the program since Schultz came on board two years ago, when Big Brothers Big Sisters had only 37 matches in Shawano County. She noted that the adult matches are people who are open-minded, positive and feel they have something to offer to children.
“A big push we want to see is prevention,” Schultz said. “These youth in these programs need an additional support person, and if they get it, they’re super likely to do better. They’ll do better in school, socially, emotionally. They’re going to have somebody they can have conversations with that might not be as comfortable in the home.”
Proximity of the bigs to littles can be a factor when placement occurs, but some of the bigs are willing to go the extra distance when needed.
“I have one big that is willing to drive from Pella to Eland to see her little, which is nuts,” Schultz said. “That is a grand scale of the proximity requirement.”
Alderman Kevin Barkow became part of the program in the last couple of months. He said he took his little to play mini-golf and also went with his little to a 4-H event where the little was showing rabbits.
“I didn’t know how it was going to go,” Barkow said about the mini-golf outing. “So I texted his dad and asked, ‘Did he enjoy golfing?’ He said that he did, and even made his mom buy him a putter so we can practice.”
lpulaski@newmedia-wi.com
