It’s located in a small office in central Omaha, but Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Midlands (BBBS) has packed a powerful punch and uplifting influence on thousands of youth throughout the metro area. 

And recently, BBBS staff shared a secret which has helped the local agency earn a national award for service; a secret which focuses on engaging mentors through face-to-face contact.

A secret that truly puts the “social” in social media. 

“Face-to-face and social media are the most effective ways of communication to me. I believe that when you communicate something in person, it becomes much more meaningful,” said Abiola Kosoko, director of marketing and recruitment of the Omaha agency.

Named the 2019 national mid-large agency of the year from more than 300 national agencies in the BBBS network, this mentoring-based non-profit agency has a strong presence in the Omaha area. Its leadership and Board of Directors reads like a list of Who’s Who from Omaha businesses royalty.

The BBBS of the Midlands office, the national headquarters and other affiliates have recently rebranded. They changed their logo, colors and online presence as part of their strategy to recruit new and diverse volunteers. These 300 agencies share the same marketing presence.

But each affiliate promotes itself differently to gain new volunteers, and this is where the BBBS of the Midlands shines. 

“It’s a hard thing for people to become active by just reading about us. But when they see us in person and know our stories better, then that makes it easier for people to want to be part of our organization,” said Kosoko.

Kosoko said the agency staff have many ways of actively recruiting volunteers.

These methods include BBBS staff attending fairs, luncheons, informational sessions at work places and spending time talking to potential volunteers face-to-face. They visually market themselves through billboards and printed material, and they have a physical presence at events all over the city.

Social media also plays a large role in attracting new audiences and retaining new volunteer relationships. Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube are all part of BBBS’s social media strategy.

Because volunteers are the core to keeping the agency running and consistently helping youth, their recruitment is an ongoing job and of top importance. 

“We have to be at places. With our message, we have to reach out and talk to people. Our end goal is finding mentors,” Kosoko said.

And these efforts of personal attention are paying off and garnering national attention. 

“We won our award of excellence for having some of the longest lasting big/little relationships in the nation, “ said Kosok. “Our mentor/mentee relationships last an average of 3½ years, higher than the national average of two.”

 Right now the agency has around 540 active big/little mentor relationships, and a waiting list of 120 youth.  

According to Kosoko, kids in the Omaha metro area can sign up easily with the help of parents or guardians, starting at age 7.

Adult volunteers are the harder people to find. Making sure they are ready for the commitment and the relationship is of top importance. Each volunteer goes through a long match process with many background checks for the safety of the children. 

“We dont sugar-coat anything; this is an actual relationship,” said Kosoko. “Many of the kids are from poverty stricken households, and they need the volunteers to show they can commit.” 

There are all sorts of different volunteers just like all the different kids.  Each adult is different, has survived life so far, and learned a lot about life, he said. 

“Some volunteers wonder how they can help; why they should be a mentor.  Just being there for their ‘little’ and giving the kid someone to talk to is the focus,” he said. “You are making a living for yourself and can give insight.” 

630 words; Jennifer Knight; 3.2.2020