Question & Answer Interview with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Guam Executive Director Vanessa Estella

1. What is your mission at BBBSG?

Our mission statement is as follows: We provide children facing adversity with strong and enduring, professionally supported one-to-one relationships that change their lives for the better.

We strive to achieve this by increasing awareness of the positive impacts of mentoring, building partnerships that yield volunteer and donor support, and enhancing the mentoring experience by providing support and supplemental services.

2. What specific services does BBBSG  provide?

We recruit, screen, train, coach and support volunteer mentors who work one-to-one with youth.  We also work with school and community partners who provide youth referrals to our programs.  Our organization takes a case-management approach, and therefore every mentoring match is assigned a case worker who tracks the progress of each mentoring relationship.

3. Who is your target audience?

We work with youth who seek the guidance and friendship of an older role model or mentor.   Youth, or “Littles,” ages 8-16 can apply.  There is no cost to participate.

4. What are your hours of operation and what is the best way for people to reach you that are interested in assistance?

Our office is open from 8AM-5PM, Monday through Friday, and by appointment on Saturday.

It’s best to reach us via email at bbbsg@teleguam.net or to call our office at 472-2227.

You can fill out an online youth or volunteer enrollment form at www.guambbbs.org  or find us on Facebook –BBBSG.

5. In addition to direct services, what resources does BBBSG offer?

Case workers provide referral services for youth and parents involved in the program.  The organization also hosts regular enrichment activities, and volunteer and youth trainings.  A current grant allows us to host an “Internet Tent” that provides underserved youth with Internet and computer access several times a month.

6. Thinking about current events, how do you foresee recent events in your field of work affecting your organization and its work?

By providing positive role models to youth, and by presenting youth with opportunities to experience new things and improve their developmental assets, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Guam aims to give youth the skills they need to achieve success in their lives.   We encourage our mentors to guide their Littles in shaping better, healthier attitudes towards school, their peers and their families. In essence, we are equipping kids to break the cycle of academic failure, poverty and broken families. 

7.  Can you discuss your community partnerships and how they contribute to the overall success of BBBSG individually.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Guam is a volunteer-driven, donor-driven organization.  Therefore, the partnerships we’ve forged with community partners, local businesses and our friends in government agencies have been critical to our program.

8. Can you touch on the history of BBBSG and how the organization is set up?

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Guam began in the mid-1990s and was run by a small group of determined volunteers.  By 2001, we incorporated and became a full-fledged non-profit organization!  The Guam office is a full affiliate of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, and must comply with national program standards.  We are currently an office with 2 full-time staff, and our abilities to serve children are multiplied through the power and generosity of volunteer mentors!

9. Any upcoming plans or projects that our island community should be aware of?

February is Mentoring Awareness Month, and we kicked things off with a 2K/5K run hosted by our corporate sponsor, Nerium. We also hosted a pool party for our mentoring matches.  On Feb. 10, with the help of Gov. Calvo, we honored two outstanding individuals for their dedication and service to youth mentoring.  Rafael Hughes Batalla was recognized as the 2014 Big Brother of the Year, and Price Elementary School counselor Dr. Agnes Indalecio was named the 2014 Honorary Big Sister of the Year.  Later in the month, VARO will conduct a child safety and sexual abuse prevention training for our youth constituents.  

10. Why do you think the work you do is important to our island community and the world at large?

The economy has affected the way social services are delivered, both for government agencies and for nonprofit organizations.  As we all grapple with scarce resources, we have come to realize that Big Brothers Big Sisters of Guam plays a critical role in filling some of the gaps in youth services.  So, if we can provide early-intervention services for at-risk youth and change the way our youth grow up, we benefit the community at large.