BBBS Regional Director Dawn Starostka

By Mary Alice Murphy

With a merger of the Big Brothers Big Sisters organizations of Northern New Mexico and Southwestern New Mexico, as of Jan. 1, 2015, the capacity of the new organization, called Big Brother Big Sisters Mountain Region, has grown, as they will share a single strategy in order to best serve the state's youth in 17 counties.

In a press release announcing the merger, Mountain Region Chief Executive Officer Andrea Fisher Maril said: "We believe this will benefit kids from both the northern and southwestern parts of the state. By centralizing financial and administrative services we €™ll be able to match more kids in life-changing relationships with caring, committed, carefully screened mentors."

Doña Ana/Grant County Regional Director Dawn Starostka said she would be looking to strengthen and continue community relationships in the southwestern part of state, while overseeing the organization that, before the merger in October 2014, was named Nonprofit Agency of the Month by the Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce.

Starostka spoke to the Beat and said her hope was that Big Brothers Big Sisters would return to Grant County better than ever. "The program was strong here. We know we have volunteers here, and we are looking for kids and more volunteers. We need one volunteer for every kid we serve. There are always lots of kids. Our program is based on one-to-one mentorship, so each volunteer is focused on one kid. Trust is built when the Little knows that the Big means it when he says: 'I'm here for you.'"

She said because of lack of leadership, the program almost closed in Las Cruces and Grant County. "I have been regional director since January, and I plan great things for the program."

Most recently, Starostka had her own business as an event planner for 11 years, but had a buyer interested in buying her business so she sold it. "My contacts because of the business have helped open doors for me. When I lived in Washington D.C. my background was in non-profit fundraisers and I knew I wanted to come back to the non-profit arena."

She said she and Nancy Chaparro, the program coordinator in Las Cruces, work together. "Nancy looks at the Bigs and Littles and I do primarily the fundraising and networking. We hope to open a part-time office here in Grant County next year. We will also have a Bowl-a-Thon in Silver City to raise money for the program in 2016."

After a slow start, Starostka said the program has hit its stride in Las Cruces. "In the past two months, we have made 12 matches last month and probably the same this month."

She said the word mentor scared some potential volunteers. "But it's just hanging out with the kid, doing something. It doesn't have to be intense. It's really a friendship and relationship. It's about keeping the kid focused and on track one child at a time. The relationship changes the child, changes the family and changes the world around them."

Littles graduate from the program when they turn 18. Starostka said one recent graduate is planning to become a Big, because she benefited so much from the program.

For more information, the office in Las Cruces is located at 221 W. Griggs or contact the organization at 575-523-9530, Starostka at Dawn.Starostka@bbbsmountainregion.org or visit the website www.BBBSMountainRegion.org .