Spray-painting public property and being a good mentor seems like an odd combination.
That’s what the local chapter of Big Brothers/Big Sisters is doing, though, to raise awareness about the need for more mentors for kids.
The #BeAMentor campaign is part of National Volunteer Week. Throughout the day on April 7, Sea to Sky Big Brothers/Big Sisters mentoring coordinator Carlee Stecyk, marketing and communications manager Kristie Yung and marketing and communications coordinator Jessica Davies hit locations around Squamish with their message by spray-painting the hashtag and message over a stencil on places like sidewalks.
They were not vandalizing, however, as the spray is invisible, designed only to show when the surface gets wet. Once wet, a hashtag symbol pops up along with the Be A Mentor message, a raindrop and the sun. It is expected to remain two weeks.
“We wanted to do something a little different to get people talking,” Yung said. “The hashtag brings Squamish together virtually…. It’s a good way to surprise people.”
Last week, the weather was ideal for painting, as it helped the coats dry more quickly. The three applied the first coats, waited 15 to 30 minutes and then added the final ones at sites in Brackendale, Garibaldi Village, Brennan Park and downtown.
The idea to have a message sprayed on sidewalks that is invisible until wet is based on a similar effort in Seattle, Wash.
“We first saw it in a video,” Stecyk said. “We thought the climate is pretty similar. We thought it could work here.”
Big Brothers/Big Sisters runs its traditional mentoring program for kids, but Stecyk says a few of their programs could use more volunteers.
The In-School Mentoring (ISM) program is similar to the more familiar mentoring program outside of school. Volunteers spend an hour with a child taking part in some kind of activity at the school, such as shooting baskets or playing board games.
“We’re always in search for ISM volunteers,” Stecyk said.
“We always have a wait list…. Once we get an application (for a child), we’re always on the hunt for a volunteer.”
This program is suitable for people who work at home or at jobs with flexible hours that would allow them to visit a school during regular Monday-to-Friday school time. Stecyk said it would be ideal for university students.
The organization also runs a sports mentoring program that starts at the end of May and runs through the summer.
“We need mentors for that one,” Stecyk said.
This program runs for 10 weeks and is operated in conjunction with Brennan Park Recreation Centre.
Last summer, it had 15 mentors and 15 children.
“That was the first time running the program, and it was a great success,” she said.
The sessions take place on Tuesday evenings. Many of the activities emphasize teaching young kids the fundamentals of movements, which can be applied to different sports.
