MADISON, Wis. — A Wisconsin organization is looking for more volunteers to mentor children in the community.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Dane County has nearly 200 children on the waitlist for a “Big.”

Sarah Chan and her “Little” Alaysia have been matched for over a year. Chan said mentorship has always been something that spoke to her.

“When I moved to Wisconsin a couple of years ago now, I thought it would be a great opportunity,” she said. “Because I’m out of college, why not?”

Chan said her partnership with Alaysia has benefitted both of them.

“All those opportunities that my parents gave me, like going on all these trips and checking out all these new restaurants, it’s kind of what shaped me into who I am today,” she said. “I think being able to do that for someone else would be really, really neat.”

Community outreach and volunteer manager Tracy Anderson said watching these partnerships flourish is rewarding. However, she thinks about the hundreds of kids still waiting for that opportunity, most of whom are boys and children of color.

“When I took the role, there were a lot of… kids getting on the waitlist due to COVID,” she said. “So I think that’s kind of like what I walked into.”

While Anderson said they’d be happy with anyone who wanted to volunteer, they’re hoping to attract more people of color and men as mentors.

“Representation matters. I think when a child is being mentored by someone who looks like them, it really helps them,” she said. “There’s so many things happening in our world today, it’s just nice to have someone that you can relate to.”

Anderson said people from all walks of life can become a Big. You have to be 18 or older, pass a background check, and commit to at least one year of mentorship.

For more information on how to volunteer, click here.