Big Brothers stops accepting children in Surrey to mentorship program due to volunteer shortage
Surrey children on the waitlist for a mentor have an average wait time of two years
Big Brothers of Greater Vancouver says it will no longer accept children to its mentorship program in Surrey, B.C., due to a shortage of volunteers.
Thirty kids in Surrey have been approved for the program but are still waiting to be paired with a mentor, the organization says, and the average wait time for a match is two years.
The program needs at least 38 more volunteers in Surrey to meet current demand.
"Without volunteers, we cannot reach children," said Norman Galimski, marketing and communications coordinator with Big Brothers of Greater Vancouver.
The program pairs children and youth with a mentor, and sees them build a relationship through weekly activities.
"It's somebody who's there for you ... you can have a safe place to just be yourself, just play games, just talk," Galimski said.
He says they used to serve more than 1,000 children before the program was suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since reopening in 2021, many volunteers have not returned. They currently serve around 700 children.
"You're waiting for something that might be able to change your life," Galimski said.
Galimski says other cities in need of volunteers include Burnaby, Richmond, Coquitlam, Vancouver and North Vancouver.
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