The Cape and Islands chapter of Big Brothers Big Sisters is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, with 40 people currently participating in the Island program.

Cory Medeiros started with the organization as a Little, receiving mentorship from a volunteer adult. Now, Mr. Medeiros acts as a Big, giving back to the organization that helped him as a child.

“You never know what somebody’s going through,” he said. “I think being a mentor for some children who are going [through] adverse childhood experiences [is important], and those are pretty big in determining children’s behaviors as they get into adulthood.”

According to regional director JR Mell, long lasting relationships are the norm on the Island, exceeding the national metrics. On the Vineyard, the average match lasts for over four years, making it the longest duration in the nation’s branches. Off-Island the average is a year and a half.

Little and Big, Geo and Tom Dresser. — Courtesy of Big Brothers Big Sisters

“That’s just such an amazing thing for our Vineyard matches, and for a kid who has that support for an average of four years and to lead the nation in that [statistic],” he said.

At the moment, the Vineyard is flush with adult volunteers, another sign that the Island program is thriving. In the past, the program has often struggled to find enough mentors.

“The volunteer base on the Vineyard has actually outperformed the number of kids being referred to us,” Mr. Mell said. “If someone’s reading this who is a parent or guardian, or a grandparent raising grandchildren and have thought about our program, there is no better time to enroll a kid than right now.”

In an effort to reach out to more children and families in need on the Island, the program recently launched a pilot initiative to connect more deeply with the Brazilian community. According to Mr. Mell, bilingual referrals rose post-pandemic, and the organization has been working with the Communication Ambassador Partnership for translation services and hopes to further that partnership.

“They are working with us for translation services, but also as an arm where we can train their staff to really understand our program, to explain the nuances of our program to families who may be seeking our services, and make sure that our program material is culturally appropriate for the families that we’re serving,” Mr. Mell said.

Communication with the entire family is where the translation services come in handy, according to Mr. Mell.

Big and Little: Gayle Mone and Lizzie. — Courtesy of Big Brothers Big Sisters

“Our Bigs and Littles are meeting out in the community, which means there has to be some level of communication between the volunteer mentor and the family,” he added.

As the regional organization celebrates 50 years, it’s mentors like Mr. Medeiros who embody its mission. Mr. Medeiros is currently a patrol officer in Tisbury and is training to be a school resource officer to further his mentorship journey.

“It was definitely life changing, being with somebody that you hang out with every once in a while, but someone that you can feel safe with, do activities with and just be yourself and be happy,” he said. “It was a very enjoyable experience for me growing up. It’s a great organization, and you’re changing somebody’s life for the better.”