Reopening Our Volunteer Recruitment Efforts

When we reopen our offices on June 8th, Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Texas will have been closed for 85 days. That’s nearly a quarter of the year! A quarter of the year that we have been unable to provide over half of our services.  We are excited to get back to work, but a little worried about what the new normal looks like.  In the month of April we received only 18 inquires from potential volunteers (which is down from our monthly average of 100).  

Our program depends on volunteers for our mentoring services. There are over 1,200 mentors currently matched with youth in our program, but there are also hundreds more in the queue to receive a mentor.  We have worked really hard over the past 2 years to decrease the time a child waits before being matched to a Big Brother or Big Sister, and we don’t want the pandemic to impact this wait time any more than it has already.

We just launched a campaign to recruit 100 mentors from the military ranks over the 100 days of summer.  Information on that campaign can be found here.  A big thanks goes out to retired Air Force 4 star General ED Rice for his help on that campaign.  A video message from the general can be found in the link. 

We recruit Bigs from all walks of life, though, so you don’t have to be in the military to mentor.  Please help us spread the word that we need volunteers now more than ever!  The pandemic has given us all a reminder of how much we need human connections, and the Big Brothers Big Sisters program is all about facilitating relationships for kids who need support and guidance to navigate all the challenges life throws at them. 

This is a link to the Big brothers Big Sisters training calendar – we have both virtual and in-person information sessions happening weekly where anyone can learn more about being a mentor.  Take a look.  

A curbside social distancing concert series in my neighborhood

Pre-concert snack tradition with Zoe 

I'm sitting in the lawn chair I brought to the front yard of my friend's Kelly & Billy Haynie's house (social distancing of course) inspired to write about how awesome it's been that the “After Hours Band” has been playing free neighborhood concerts every Thursday night during the pandemic. 

It’s a balmy night with a slight breeze. Cars line their street. This is my 4th time out, but I think it’s Thursday #7 for the band. There are lightening bugs in the trees, and kids running around with flashlights, weaving in and out of the little family and friend groups scattered across sidewalks and adjacent lawns. Lots of people are on lawn chairs, others on the curb, a few have brought Styrofoam coolers. There’s a dancing couple, 2 teenagers on a couch that’s clearly been dragged out for this special curbside concert, and a lighted stand holding someone’s smart phone recording everything on Facebook Live for those who can’t venture out. The band greets everyone who tunes in, physically and digitally. They’re clearly having a good time. We are too. Thanks, guys. You are everything America needs today.

The music is good, the instruments and speakers are set up carefully and effectively in the doorway of Bill and Kelly’s house. There are 5 band members and a sound guy, and Kelly is the Band Manager (official or unofficial I’m not sure, but Billy says she’s in charge). ;)

They cover lots of songs that are definitely of my generation, but my 18 year old daughter sings along to most of them. Here are ones I remember:

• Lots of Eagles, which I love, like “Take it Easy,” what a great song 
• Joe Walsh’s “Rocky Mountain Way,” 
• Tom Perry’s “Breakdown,” 
• Many Elvis tunes (Blue Suede Shoes, Don’t Be Cruel)
• Johnny Cash (Folsom Prison Blues), and 
• Eddie Rabbit (I can't remember which song they played, but it was enjoyable.)

Zoë got very excited about “I Wanna be Sedated,” by The Remones, and the songs most likely to inspire couples to take to the street-dance-floor were “Amarillo by Morning,” or my personal theme song these days, “I’m Much Too Young (to feel this damn old).”  The band also usually plays “The Break-Up Song,” which has special meaning to them from when they started playing together, and “Suspicious Minds," Kelly’s favorite (I love that one too).

Every once in a while, an audience member goes up to guest sing. Tonight, someone did a wonderful, spirited rendition of “When Will I Be Loved,” by Linda Ronstadt. Last week, Zoë sang "Desperado," by the Eagles, another one of my favorites. 

They usually play from 6:30 or 7 til 8:30 or 9. It’s still light out when they start singing, but as the sun sets, the sky dims and the lights come on in the trees. It's beautiful. Tonight, even the pizza delivery guy slowed down to listen as he drove carefully down the street.  

Personally, I can’t think of anywhere I’d rather be. Pandemic or no pandemic. 

This is just a small tribute to the After Hours Band: Thanks for coming out to play, to make our week a little better in these crazy times. I hope you enjoyed us as much as we enjoyed you. You guys are the best! 

See Video we took of the band here: https://vimeo.com/422645480

More on the band here: https://linktr.ee/afterhoursbandsa