It was a wonderful late summer day for the Monaco South Optimist Club Rockies fans who volunteered to handout the 15,000 Charlie Blackmon Bobbleheads                The Rockies Won!

We had a very good turnout for the fund raiser.

Greg Holt, Curt and Sharon Boell, Keith and Lois Jean Galloway, Tom Kramis, Karl Geil and his wife Lesley Meyer, Mr. George Buzick, Tom and Laura Hoch, Paul Stratton and his friend Lesley, Eldon and Roxie Strong, Jack and Kathy Rife, Ken and Jackie Jeung, Ken brought his Cousins Ray and Barb Yee and Dr. Vaughn Kendall.

Thank you so much for your participation you helped in earning the club $750 for supporting the Kids.

Michael

 

 

 

We have a brand-new Grandpa. Everett Gardner's daughter Jessica gave birth to an 8Lbs 8oz 20" long baby boy. All are doing well. May name him Kaleb, Ev says.

 

 

Mark Metevia introduces our speaker this morning.  Elycia Cook is the first African American Woman to be the CEO of the Big Brothers Big Sisters. She was named CEO in 2021.  An award-winning non-profit leader, Cook has been recognized for her many accomplishments. In 2009, she founded the Cherry Creek STARS Mentoring Program. She led and mentored teens by escorting several groups participating in Mentoring Day on the Hill in Washington, DC. In 2014, Cook received the Woman Making History award from Colorado Black Women for Political Action. In 2015, she received the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Community Leader of the Year award. In 2016 she received the Aspire Award for her work with teens by Trilogy Financial and was named the prestigious Professional Fundraiser of the Year from the Association of Fundraising Professionals. In 2017, Cook received the African American Making A Difference award from the Urban Spectrum news publication. In 2019, she was recognized as a Girl Scouts Woman of Distinction and in 2020, was a Denver Business Journal Outstanding Woman in Business and was awarded National MENTOR’s Lifetime Achievement Award in Mentoring.

 

Elycia tells us about the effect of loneliness on the health of an individual.  She asks us who we think are most susceptible to being lonely, and most guess it’s older folks.  The mission of Big Brothers Big Sisters is to create and support mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth.   Elycia says the research shows us that it’s young people who suffer the most from loneliness.  She has 2 daughters and shows us a slide of her mentee, Tae, who gives her so much encouragement.  Big Bothers was started in 1906 with the intent to aide young men of any social standing and nurture them.  In terms if diversity, what do they do?  Elycia asks Maddox what he’d like to be when he grows up, and he says he wants to be a baseball player. One of the topics that BBBSC focuses on is Career Possibilities, in terms of introducing them to others who are different than themselves.  There are data to support what they do for kids.  93% of kids responding to a survey say they worry about youth violence.  Some times young people need help to fill in the gap, and this club is helping fill the gap.  Average match length is 3-1/2 years.  72 year match is one such example of a life long relationship that can come from these matches.  You don’t have to be perfect, you just have to be present.  Elycia tells us the story of Taylor, who depended on meeting his mentor to relieve him from a very tough home life.  Men bond by doing things.  Big Brothers Big Sisters will plan the event, whether it be sports, pumpkin carving, or various fun stuff to do.  This would be an event where multiple mentors and mentees would meet to get to know each other.  The club currently has applications from 400 kids that want a mentor and are on a list of people waiting for a mentor.  The most important factor is having a connection and being there for another young person. 

 

Elycia decided BBBSC needs to do more and wants to spread the support. The club is now delivering mentor groups in select schools.  Evidence based curriculum, is where these programs aim to help.  Elycia says she has a special plea for the retired members to help become mentors.  She will take volunteers and money.  They are looking for better things for our community.  Funding for Big Brothers Big Sisters, is always looking for support.  There are several ways to support the love.  She leaves us with a wonderful message.  Big Brothers Big Sisters currently has 683 matches, and with the school programs they

support over 1400 kids.