Big Brothers Big Sisters urges Sparks businesses to back mentoring, seeks storage space

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northern Nevada asked the Sparks City Council on March 24 to help expand mentoring in Sparks by providing business partnerships, volunteers — particularly men — and temporary storage for the agency’s donation equipment.

The request came during a presentation by Derek Beauvais, the agency’s CEO, and Mikayla Porter, volunteer specialist. Beauvais told council members, “Right now, we have 35 matches in Sparks,” and Porter added, “we have 25 kiddos on our wait list that are in Sparks.” The agency said it needs roughly $1,200 in fundraising and one mentor for each new child it serves.

Why it matters: The agency said most families served are at or below the federal poverty line and that mentors provide consistent adult support that correlates with improved education and reduced juvenile justice involvement. Beauvais described a mix of operational needs and volunteer recruitment as the priority for scaling matches in Sparks.

Details from the presentation and discussion

- Program scale and need: Beauvais and Porter said Big Brothers Big Sisters serves children aged 6–18 and that 99% of participating families receive some form of government assistance or fall at or below the federal poverty level. The agency reported 35 active matches in Sparks and 25 children on a local waitlist.

- Cost per match: Beauvais said the nonprofit must raise about $1,200 to enroll and support each child in the program.

- Volunteer needs: Porter said the agency’s largest recurring gap is male mentors; women volunteer at about four times the rate of men. The agency highlighted school- and community-based mentoring options as flexible ways for volunteers to participate.

- Donation and recycling partnerships: Beauvais described a partnership with EcoWorld to operate donation bins across Northern Nevada; he said each bin generates about $500 to $1,000 annually for the program. He explained EcoWorld’s recycling pipeline, noting that some unreusable textiles are sold and repurposed (for example, Toyota uses some material as padding). He also referenced corporate partners that recycle used shoes and other materials.

- Storage request: Beauvais said the agency currently stores donation equipment at a property off Fourth Street that is facing code enforcement issues and that the group needs a logistics or storage site that can accommodate a semitruck and several donation bins. During public remarks a member of the audience named Donald asked specifically about progress finding space; Beauvais said the agency had not yet secured an alternate site and is actively searching.

Council response and follow-up

Councilmembers and the mayor thanked the presenters and the Chamber Leadership participants who attended. No formal council action or vote was requested or taken on the storage or partnership requests during the March 24 meeting. Beauvais and Porter gave contact information and asked the city and businesses to connect them with potential storage locations and volunteer recruitment channels.

Ending

Beauvais encouraged local businesses and residents to consider partnerships or volunteering; Porter said volunteer inquiries can be directed to her and donation-location partnerships are welcomed. The city did not commit to a specific follow-up during the meeting.