Reynolds & Reynolds Associate Foundation
Who is Reynolds & Reynolds?
Reynolds & Reynolds was founded in 1866 in Dayton, Ohio. The company creates computer software that is primarily used in car dealerships. They have created and sell the industry’s only Retail and Management System. The software helps dealerships to stay organized with reports, communication between departments, and sales. The company has consultants to help customers with the product. Reynolds customers have great things to say about the company. Bobby Brooks from Royal Gate Automotive group says, “…It’s rare to encounter someone as good at explaining things as our Reynolds consultant. He does more than help with our parts inventory count; he introduces new processes to ensure accuracy in the future.” Breck Davis from Hodges Ford says, “The consultant’s recommendations have had a huge impact for our business.”
Who is the Reynolds & Reynolds Associate Foundation?
The Reynolds & Reynolds Associate Foundation is a collective of Reynolds & Reynolds employees who pool donations to give back to organizations in the community. Founded in 1956, The mission of the organization is to provide a vehicle for associates of The Reynolds & Reynolds Company to improve health and human services in their local communities. They offer grants for local organizations and raise money by organizing donation drives, payroll deduction, and auctions. Aside from funds, the foundation holds quarterly in-kind donation drives for non-perishable food items, and winter coats.
How does the Foundation Make a Difference in the Miami Valley?
The foundation makes a difference in the community in the form of giving grants to local community organizations. Grants are given based on their community impact, efficient use of funds, and alignment with the foundation’s focus. In addition to monetary grants, they provide volunteer opportunities. In 2021, the foundation had a group build two single story homes with Habitat for Humanity in the parking lot of the Reynolds and Reynolds headquarters!
The Reynolds and Reynolds Associate Foundation gave BBBS Miami Valley a grant in 2022 for our Community and School Based Programs. These programs have been working to combat the effect of COVID-19 on children in the Miami Valley. According to a recent study published by McKinsey and Company, the impact of the pandemic on K–12 student learning was significant, leaving students on average five months behind in mathematics and four months behind in reading by the end of the school year. The pandemic widened preexisting opportunity and achievement gaps, hitting historically disadvantaged students hardest. In math, students in underprivileged school districts ended the year with six months of unfinished learning. High schoolers have become more likely to drop out of school, and high school seniors, especially those from low-income families, are less likely to go on to postsecondary education. The crisis has had an impact on not just academics but also the broader health and well-being of students, with more than 35 percent of parents “very or extremely concerned” about their children’s mental health.
The fallout from the pandemic threatens to depress this generation’s prospects and constrict their opportunities far into adulthood. The ripple effects may undermine their chances of attending college, or other postsecondary education, and ultimately finding a fulfilling job that enables them to support a family. Unless steps are taken to address mental health and unfinished learning, today’s students may earn $49,000 to $61,000 less over their lifetime due to the impact of the pandemic on their schooling.
We believe that all youth deserve a caring adult mentor –someone in their corner to ignite and defend their potential. Mentorship empowers youth to overcome adversity and transform their lives for the better. We specialize in creating and supporting relationships that help Littles facing adversity develop the characteristics needed for academic, social, and future economic success. Research indicates that even one high-quality mentoring relationship, outside of the youth’s family, can make a positive difference in a range of developmental outcomes.
A 2020 study, published by the Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, found that mentoring relationships contribute to youth’s sense of worth and foster a more positive self-appraisal, making them less vulnerable to the effects of stress, resulting in fewer symptoms of depression and social anxiety than non-mentored youth.In 2021, 92% of our mentored youth improved depressive symptoms and 88% improved their self confidence. In short,mentoring better positions youth to thrive in their overall development and navigate the challenges or difficulties that they face daily.
Ensuring K-12 students’ academic success is a priority for BBBSMV. This is important for young people because it provides youth with the tools and critical skills to gain employment and provide for themselves and their families in the future. Our Bigs encourage better attitudes about school, promote attendance and, often indirectly, help Littles to set higher educational goals. Over the 2020-21 academic year, 78% of the students we served through mentorship improved or maintained their overall academic performance (grades, test scores), 80% improved their school attendance, and 100% were promoted to their next grade level or graduated high school.
For the Littles in our program, mentorship distracts them from the limited vision that they have for themselves. It disputes the story they have believed to be true for themselves and their future – the story given to them through life, their experiences, environment, circumstances, and the people around them. Through mentorship, Littles become inspired and open their eyes to greater possibilities, their energy and spirit are ignited, their previous belief system is dismantled, and everything becomes possible.
About Big Brothers Big Sisters Miami Valley
Since 1958, the mission of Big Brothers Big Sisters Miami Valley is to create and support one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth. Big Brothers Big Sisters operates under the belief that inherent in every child is incredible potential. We make meaningful, monitored mentoring matches between adult volunteers (Bigs) and local youth (Littles), ages 7 through 18, across Montgomery, Miami, Greene, and Preble counties. As the leading evidence-based mentoring organization in the Miami Valley, currently serving 344 local youth, we help children realize their full potential and build strong futures.
In addition to one-to-one mentoring, we provide group match activities focused on STEM to build confidence and self-efficacy around science, technology, engineering, and math subjects and to expose them to various related career paths to help break the cycle of generational poverty. We also provide family care packages which include nonperishable food, personal care items and cleaning supplies to the youth who are in most need.
How Can You Get Involved in the Miami Valley?
We are always looking for volunteer mentors to match with youth in the Miami Valley. If you think you would make a great mentor to a child, sign up today!