Big Brothers Big Sisters recognize mentor’s impact

ALYNA THIBAULT Missourian Reporter | @TheMissourian

Alongside this, McKim said since the pandemic, big companies have cut back on expansions and have started cutting shops and stores all over. Some locations at the top of the list for closures are those in rural areas.

“I really get frustrated with corporate retail because as you look at over the last 10 years of closures in Maryville that were corporate related stores, not one of them wasn’t profitable,” McKim said. “It was a corporate decision that said ‘We’re not profitable as a corporation, we’re gonna cut resources in small markets to move them to larger markets.’”

January marks the annual celebration of Mentoring Month, a time to recognize and appreciate the critical role mentorship plays in personal and professional development.

Big Brothers Big Sisters has been making a positive impact on the lives of young people for over 100 years. The organization matches children, also known as littles with adult mentors, or bigs who provide guidance and support. The goal is to help littles reach their full potential and succeed in their personal and academic lives.

Lynette Harbin is the executive director for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Nodaway County as well as a mentor. She has been with the organization since 2008 and started off on the Board of Directors.

“We are a mentoring organization,” Harbin said “We match children from a single parent or nontraditional home with an adult mentor, who spends a couple hours each week with the kid doing normal everyday type activities.”

Mentoring Month is a national celebration, mentors come from many forms and environments. They are special people that have great leadership, communication skills and empathy for younger adults.

“For us, as a mentoring organization, we use this month to really celebrate our mentors,” Harbin said.