BELLEVILLE – GCS Credit Union employees joined together to raise $855.00 to benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwestern Illinois for a surprise donation in November.
For more than 100 years, Big Brothers Big Sisters has operated under the belief that inherent in every child is the ability to succeed and thrive in life. As the nation’s largest donor and volunteer supported mentoring network, Big Brothers Big Sisters makes meaningful, monitored matches between adult volunteers (“Bigs”) and children (“Littles”), ages 6 through 18, in communities across the country. Big Brothers Big Sisters develops positive relationships that have a direct and lasting effect on the lives of young people.
In an ongoing effort to support the local community, GCS employees participate in Jeans Days each month. In exchange for a donation of $15 or more, employees were allowed to wear jeans on Fridays and Saturdays.
National research has shown that positive relationships between Littles and their Bigs have a direct and measurable impact on children’s lives. By participating in Big Brothers Big Sisters, Little Brothers and Sisters are:
- More confident in their schoolwork performance
- Able to get along better with their families
- 46% less likely to begin using illegal drugs
- 27% less likely to begin using alcohol
- 52% less likely to skip school
For more information on how you can volunteer or donate to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwestern Illinois, please call 618-398-3162. To find out more about GCS, visit myGCScu.com.
