A new mentorship program in Centre County, Centre LGBT+ Bigs & Littles, aims to provide support and sense of belonging for LGBT+ young people.
A partnership between the Centre County Youth Service Bureau and Centre LGBT+, the program will be similar to Big Brothers Big Sisters, or BBBS.
Cat Cook, executive director of Centre LGBT+, said LGBT+ young people can face misunderstanding in the community or with their own families.
“Having these mentors can provide a huge identity boost and help them really grow their self-esteem and to be valued," she said. "I'm hoping that the youth that come into this program will get from these mentors — is just that affirmation and acceptance that is often missing from the society in general."
BBBS Program Director Rebecca Lord said volunteers will go through an intake process and the children and their families will too.
“I call us expert match-makers, because we’re very intentional when we make our matches," Lord said. "We want to be very intentional, because we want them to flourish. We want them to be long-lasting. We want them to be a positive experience for everybody involved.”
The mentors and Littles will meet at Centre LGBT+ in State College. Cook said it’s about supporting young people — the program’s Littles.
“For the Littles to be able to see a mentor who is thriving and who they can identify with, that’s incredibly empowering," she said.
Community members interested in volunteering as mentors can attend an information session at 5:30 p.m. Aug. 20 at Centre LGBT+, 204 E. Calder Way, Suite 304, State College. To RSVP or for more information, email Cook at info@centrelgbtqa.org no later than Aug. 19.
