Last year, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas (BBBS-CT) provided over 82,000 hours of mentoring to 1,588 children in Travis, Williamson, McLennan and Brazos counties.

This year, they've teamed up with the Neighborhood Longhorns Program (NLP), and are currently recruiting and pairing UT students with children at AISD elementary schools for a one-on-one mentoring relationship.

Volunteers are needed to provide educational and social support through mentoring and tutoring for kids ranging from 6 to 16 and often surrounded with a life of truancy, violence or drug/alcohol abuse. The entire experience is meant to benefit not only the child, but his/her family, home life, community; and you, as a volunteer, shouldn't feel guilty if you get something out of it too.

The participating Austin-area elementary schools for the 2007-2008 school year include:

• Sanchez Elementary (central/south)
• Allison Elementary (east)
• Zavala Elementary (central/east)
• Wooldridge Elementary (north)
• TA Brown Elementary (north)

So, get off Facebook, put down that Keystone, and miss a couple episodes of whatever MTV reality show is on right now to give some of your time to a Central Texas youth who deserves a childhood free from the worries only us older folk should have to deal with.

[Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas]

For more information, contact Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas at 512-472-KIDS (5437), or click over to their website above.