FOLEY, Ala. — The nation’s leading youth mentoring organization is finding some new roots in Baldwin County, with a new branch of the Big Brothers Big Sisters program opening in Summerdale and Foley.

The program, founded in 1904 as the Big Brothers program, added the Big Sisters in 1979. The program’s mission is “to improve the lives of children and strengthen communities through professionally-supported, one-to-one mentoring relationships.”

The national program has been modified for the students of Baldwin County. Traditionally serving at-risk youth up to 18 years old, the Summerdale and Foley program will only serve elementary school aged children, as the program is an in-school project only.

The grant, put together by the Baldwin County School Board and South Alabama YMCA, allows for the mentors to visit a local elementary school one day a week for one hour.

“The mentors visit the child at school to make sure they actually get to spend time together,” Mentor Coordination Polly Fisher said. “In the past there may have been children signed up, but the parents wouldn’t keep up their end of the deal. The mentors would come to the house, but no one would be home.”

At each school is a toy box that includes games and nerf toys, so the meetings are kept fun and not so serious.

“It’s not meant to necessarily be a tutoring session,” Fisher said. “However, we have one child about 11 years old who is so serious about school he wants his mentor to help him with his school work, which if that’s what they want, that’s great.”

In order for the program to be successful, a strong group of mentors is needed, especially in the new Summerdale and Foley areas.

“For our mentors, we are looking for flexible and big hearted people,” Fisher said. “It has to be the right time in the volunteer’s life. Even if they’ve had a few bumps in the past they should apply anyway, you never know.”

To become a mentor, all applicants go through a rigorous selection process that includes the submission of three references, fingerprinting and intensive interviews. While the process might be demanding, the reward is well worth it.

“Being a Big Sister, for me, is important,” mentor Ann Fields said. “It’s great to know that you are someone important and stable in the child’s life.”

Fields joined the Baldwin County program after seeing a flyer posted. Prior to her work locally, she spent 14 years driving a school bus in Wisconsin where she often helped the children she shuttled to and from school.

“It would be 10 below zero out and some of the kids didn’t even have coats,” Fields said. “I found myself buying them scarves, hats and jackets. When I moved here and saw the flyer for the program, I just thought ‘This is it, this is what I’m looking for.’”

Perhaps the most important part of being a mentor is just listening to what the child has to say.

“Kids know what’s going on,” Fields said. “They have a lot to say and I just listen. They are a lot smarter than adults think they are.”

The program has already been implemented in Summerdale and Foley and plans are to start in Bay Minette next. Each child is selected by a school counselor. Parents must give permission and fill out a questionnaire about the child. Mentors are matched with their children based on the volunteer’s best attributes and the child's needs. Fisher tries to keep volunteers close to their child by matching children whose school is less than 25 minutes driving distance from the volunteer.

“We start in October,” Fisher said. “Everyone I’ve spoken with is so excited Big Brothers Big Sisters has finally come to Baldwin County.”

For more information on the program, or to become a mentor contact Fisher at pfisher@ymcasalabama.org