Rick Woodcox, center, and his wife Joann Woodcox, both mentors for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana, talk to Blaze, their Little, during a trip to downtown Indianapolis a few years ago. Rick Woodcox has been matched with Blaze now for nine years, and he will share his experience as a Big during a special event at Community Church of Greenwood on Friday. SUBMITTED PHOTO
The connection has spanned the past nine years.
When Rick Woodcox signed up to be a mentor through Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana, he didn’t know what to expect. He was paired with Blaze, a youth who needed a friend.
Meeting every month for a few hours, they slowly built a bond. Woodcox has seen him mature from a quiet, reserved child into a more confident and active young man. That growth has been amazing to watch, he said.
“Watching him mature, watching him develop into a man has been extremely rewarding,” said Woodcox, a Greenwood resident. “I don’t know if my impact has been as big as it could have been, but I do believe I have impacted him in making choices in life to be successful. It’s one of the most rewarding things I’ve done in my life.”
Woodcox is sharing his story to help recruit more people to sign up to be mentors. He’ll be part of Coffee, Collab and Convo, a panel event with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana on Friday in Greenwood, joining others from the organization to emphasize how being a Big changes lives.
The networking and educational presentation will be from 8:30 to 10 a.m. at the Community Church of Greenwood. Free coffee and snacks will be provided, and time at the end of the panel will allow people to network and meet each other.
With 81 young people in Johnson County currently waiting to be matched with a Big — about 70% of which are boys — the need for mentors has never been greater, said Matt Vukusich, senior mentoring relationship specialist at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana.
“A lot of these kids genuinely just want somebody to spend time with them, someone who gives them their full attention,” he said. “There’s a lot of times with their family situations where they’re sharing the attention. When they’re with their Big, it’s all about them.”
Big Brothers Big Sisters is a national organization that pairs children in need with adult role models. They meet for about five hours each month, doing activities such as hiking, playing sports, fishing and going to the movies. Bigs help them with homework, or just hang out and talk with them.
“Our Bigs play the role of a support person in the kid’s and the family’s life. You can never have too many people supporting you,” Vukusich said.
Potential Bigs must be 19 years old or older, be able to meet with a child on average two to four times a month for a minimum of four hours per month and commit to the program for at least a year. Applicants must be willing to complete an interview process, which includes a background check.
Woodcox was first motivated to sign up to mentor with Big Brothers, Big Sisters nine years ago after hearing a presentation at his church, the Community Church of Greenwood. When he shares his experience on Friday, it will be a full-circle kind of moment.
“It seemed like it was so well organized. You get your own Big to help you to navigate through everything. Having someone in the organization to help you with pitfalls has been great,” he said.
At first, Woodcox and his wife, JoAnn were both matched with Blaze in what’s known as a Big Couple. Blaze was 8 years old at the time — a little bit shy and reserved. But the Woodcoxes worked to forge a friendship with him.
“He had gone through a lot at that time, and that has continued. But the good thing about Big Brothers Big Sisters is that you’re there to be a friend, a mentor. That was really unique to me, that I wasn’t there to correct everything for him. We were there to listen and be a friend,” Woodcox said.
While JoAnn Woodcox has taken on her own Little — Blaze’s younger sister — Woodcox and Blaze have remained paired up. They often get together to go to the gym and work out. Sometimes they go on hiking trips. Recently, the pair took a 15-mile canoe trip together.
“Our fall-back has always been working out and exercising, playing basketball, all of that,” Woodcox said. “Most of our stuff has been active stuff.”
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana has made recruiting mentors in Johnson County a priority, planning events and learning opportunities in Greenwood, Bargersville and more in recent years. Leaders also teamed with a Leadership Johnson County group, Big for JoCo, to visit various organizations and corporations throughout Johnson County to connect those businesses with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana.
That connection included coordinating a presentation with their employees to become Bigs; offering event space for activities for matches; or donating free or discounted tickets to events for matches. Working with entities throughout the county, Big for JoCo group members secured more than 20 volunteer recruitment introductions or presentations. They arranged more than 15 discount partnerships, and were able to get at least six in-kind donations of event spaces to accommodate Bigs and Littles.
Friday’s panel event continues that effort. Both Woodcox and Vukusich will be speaking, as will a member of the Big for JoCo group.
The idea is to offer an informal way for people to learn more about Big Brothers Big Sisters.
“We want to talk about the importance of mentorship, needs we see in the county and the role of becoming a Big,” Vukusich said. “And it’s a way to build the community in the county — to be an active participant in Johnson County.”
Organizers of Friday’s event hope that people come learn more about the program, even if they don’t know if it’s right for them.
They may be pleasantly surprised.
“Come to the Q&A. Immediately, they’ll connect you with someone to see if it’s something you’ll be interested in. Don’t be afraid, don’t be intimidated,” Woodcox said. “The Littles are just happy to have someone to spend time with, to listen to them.”
IF YOU GO
Coffee, Collab and Convo
What: A panel event allowing local residents to come learn more about Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana and help encourage more volunteer mentors to sign up.
When: 8:30-10 a.m. Friday
Where: Community Church of Greenwood, 1477 West Main St.
Cost: Free
How to register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/coffee-collab-convo-tickets-951483240987?aff=oddtdtcreator
