WEDNESDAY,JUNE 19,2002
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN =19
LAURIE SISK/KANSAN
David Ohlhausen and Chris Jones, Lawrence sophomore, enjoy a game of Uno at Olhausen's house. Jones has been spending time with Ohlhausen for about a year.
kansan.com The student newspaper of the University of Kansas
Big Brothers Big Sisters beneficial to kids
By Todd Smith Kansan staff writer
Growing up, Chris Jones wished he had an older brother.
Jones, Lawrence sophomore, decided to make this wish a reality for a child in Lawrence by becoming a volunteer for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Douglas County.
Ohlhausen said he enjoyed playing video games with his Big Brother, but Jones said he was trying to get Olhausen to see life beyond video games.
Jones is a Big Brother to David Ohlhausen, an incoming freshman at South Junior High School.
"I do outdoor stuff with him, like riding bikes or miniature golf," he said.
Vicky Leitnaker, case manager for Big Brothers Big Sisters, said the major reason for this waiting period was because there were so many boys and so few male volunteers.
His mother, Kyndol Ohlhausen, said she looked at the Big Brothers program to provide David with a male figure in his life because she was a single parent.
Kyndol said David was on a waiting list for a year before he was finally matched up with Jones.
"There are many single mothers who would like to have a male role model for
their boys." she said.
Leitnaker said male students who wanted to volunteer should try to commit to at least one year.
"Statistics show that longer term matches are the ones that more significantly impact and improve a child's life," Leitnaker said.
Exceptions could be made for college males in a program called First Friends, she said.
College males could be matched for six to nine months. The program also allows them to continue a match after a summer away, Leitnaker said.
Most of them chose to mentor for more than a year, she said.
Jones said he would be a Big Brother to David until he was done with college.
Leitnaker said Big Brothers Big Sisters depended on University of Kansas students because at least half of the matches made in the program were volunteers from KU.
She said students who wanted to get involved should attend informational meetings held at 5:15 p.m. Tesudays and noon Wednesdays at the Big Brothers Big Sisters office, 211 E. 8th St. Suite G.
Contact Smith at tsmith@kansan.com. This story was edited by Mandy Miller.
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