Big Brothers Big Sisters opens

January is National Mentoring Month and, thanks to one local organization, Franklin County residents now have a chance to be a mentor to a boy or girl who could really use a positive influence in their life.

Just this week, the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization held a ribbon cutting at their newly-formed Franklin County office in Red Bay.

Monica Grubbs, CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Shoals, said opening an office in Franklin County is something the organization has wanted to do for some time now.

“We are so excited to finally have an office in Franklin County,” Grubbs said. “I’ve been with the organization for 11 years now and during that time, we’ve only served Franklin County on a small scale. This new office will allow us to more adequately serve the Franklin County residents and give people there the opportunity to make an impact in a child’s life.”

Even though the organization has just recently had the ribbon-cutting cutting ceremony, the Red Bay office actually began creating matches between volunteers and children back in February and it’s a time that Red Bay councilwoman Charlene Fancher will always remember.

“About the time I was sworn in on the city council, I received a call from a very dear friend, Lisa Davis, who shared with me her hopes of bringing Big Brothers Big Sisters to Red Bay,” Fancher said.

“When it finally became a reality that the organization was going to find a home here in Red Bay, we began to discuss volunteers.

“My first response was that I didn’t know if I could be a volunteer because of all the activities I had already committed to. I just didn’t think I had the time.”

Fancher wasn’t exaggerating about not having the time.

In addition to all the responsibility that comes with being a member of the town’s city council, Fancher also served on various city and church committees, was a member of the Red Bay Garden Club, managed The Cash Store in Red Bay and assisted her husband with their family business, Fancher’s Taxidermy.

She had a full plate, to say the least, and even though the BBBS organization only requires one hour of volunteer time per week, she was hesitant about taking on another responsibility.

“I had so many other activities that I was already a part of,” she said. “And I also have a husband, a daughter and a son to think about. I didn’t want to take time away from them.”

But the more she thought about the idea of volunteering as a big sister, the more she said she wanted to become involved. She discussed the possibility with her family and finally felt that it was the right thing for her to do.

“I had already been associated with a girl through my business, so I told Lisa that I had someone in mind to be my little sister,” Fancher said.

That girl was Sarah Payne, a quiet and reserved only child who was living with her grandparents.

“Before the match had officially been made, I asked Sarah’s grandparents if I could start spending time with her,” Fancher said. “They were receptive to the idea so Sarah and I began to spend time just hanging out and talking.”

Fancher said she figured out that it was so natural to just include Payne in her normal, day-to-day activities. The fears she originally had about not having enough time to volunteer completely melted away.

“Sarah and I did things that I would have normally done anyway: shopping, playing basketball, watching movies and even hunting,” she said. “I started to see that I wasn’t just a blessing to her, she was very much a blessing to me and to my family.”

Fancher said in the two years she has now spent with Payne, she has seen the positive impact of being a part of the program.

“I have seen Sarah’s self-esteem go from a low to sky high,” Fancher said. “She is an important part of our family and we don’t ever have a family function without her. We text or call one another every day. She knows that I’m her big sister and her friend and I will be there for her no matter what.”

Grubbs said there are children right now in Franklin County who are waiting to experience the kind of relationship Charlene and Payne have.

“Our Red Bay office already has children that need to be matched to a big brother or a big sister, and the need for volunteers will only grow as word spreads about the Franklin County office,” Grubbs said.

Grubbs added that just because the Franklin County office was located in Red Bay did not mean that only people from Red Bay could participate. Volunteers ages 18 and up from all over the county are needed.

“We have a lot of volunteers who are college-age, but you are never too old to be a big brother or a big sister,” Grubbs said. “Our oldest volunteer right now is in his 80s, so anyone can do this. It just takes someone who wants to make a positive impact in a child’s life.”

People in the county who are interested in finding out more about the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization can contact the Red Bay office at 256-356-4255 or visit www.bigbrothersbigsisters.org.

Fancher also said that people who may have questions about being a local volunteer can call her at 256-483-1002.

“Out of all the activities I’m a part of, this is the one that’s touched me the most,” Fancher said. “A volunteer’s life doesn’t have to change. It can just become more enriched by the relationship they build by being a mentor.”