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Centre County proclaims January 2026 as Big Brothers Big Sisters Month
Summary
The Board adopted Proclamation 1 of 2026 recognizing January as Big Brothers Big Sisters Month; Rebecca Lord and program volunteers described mentoring impacts and encouraged more adult volunteers, particularly males, to commit one to two hours weekly.
The Centre County Board of Commissioners on Jan. 6 adopted Proclamation 1 of 2026 proclaiming January 2026 as Big Brothers Big Sisters Month in Centre County.
Rebecca Lord, identified in the minutes as the Director of the Big Brothers and Big Sisters Program, thanked the Board for the recognition and described how the program supported a youth named Alex after the sudden death of his mother, saying mentors "showed up, listened, and believed in him." Vernel Smith and guest speaker Zack Maser also described individual mentoring experiences; Maser said volunteers often find the experience impactful and that prospective mentors do not need experience or money—"just showing up and being present"—to make a difference. The minutes record that volunteers can commit one to two hours per week and that there is a continued need for mentors, particularly males. The Board voted unanimously to adopt the proclamation (mover: Commissioner Concepcion; second: Commissioner Dershem).
The Board thanked the presenters for highlighting the program's local impact and encouraged residents to seek more information at the program website listed in the minutes.
