Centerville Washington Foundation
Who is the Centerville Washington Foundation?
The Centerville Washington Foundation has been impacting their community for over twenty years. The organization is led by 15 volunteer board members who are also residents of Centerville or Washington Township. Since these board members are from the area, they are in touch with what the area needs to continue to thrive. Foundation investments are managed by The Dayton Foundation.
The foundation features a family of funds which are named for their purposes, donors, or memorials. These funds are created both by individuals and organizations. These funds cover a variety of opportunities including history, cultural, children services, community activities and more. Their philosophy is they exist to be a community partner for corporate and individual charitable giving, functioning in the formation and preservation of charitable donations, providing services to donors and non-profit organizations and serving as a source of funds for community groups.
How does the Centerville Washington Foundation make an impact in the Miami Valley?
The Centerville Washington Foundation gives grants to support projects that encourage use of community resources, test or demonstrate new approaches to important community problems, promote volunteer participation, and strengthen nonprofits or institutions by reducing operating costs. The foundation gave BBBS Miami Valley a grant to support our MENTOR Centerville/Washington Township programs.
The Mentor Centerville project provides youth mentoring services to youths (Littles), ages 6 through 18, and caring adult mentors (Bigs) who live in the Centerville. These mentoring relationships support the critical social and emotional development needed to help build resilience, as well as promote the mental health, academic success, and overall well-being of the youths we serve in the Centerville area. Our Centerville Littles currently attend Centerville High School, Tower Heights Middle School, Magsig Middle School, Normandy Elementary, and Stingley Elementary.
Through the ongoing project, we currently serve 33 mentoring matches (10 Littles, their families, and 24 Bigs) in Centerville. At this time, in addition to our current matches, we have one Centerville area Little, and one Centerville area Big, waiting to be matched in our program. The cost to support one mentoring match, for one year, is $1,500.
At the core of our Mentor Centerville project is our Community-Based Mentoring program. Littles, who need a mentor, are matched with a Big. Our Bigs develop and maintain a relationship with their Littles and serve as a positive role model and a source of reliable support. Matches are based on common interests, backgrounds, and aspirations allowing for a strong connection to grow over time. Bigs and Littles explore the local community and share fun activities that they both enjoy, meeting at least twice a month for a minimum of 4-6 total hours.
Knowing that most of our Littles have experienced some form of trauma in their lives, our staff, Bigs, and Little’s parents/caregivers are provided with Trauma-Informed Care Training to improve youth’s behavioral health specifically in the identification of trauma and assist children and youth in overcoming trauma related barriers that lead to low self-esteem, self-harm, and other health related issues.
During the lifetime of each mentoring relationship, our BBBSMV Match Support Specialists provide support to help sustain long-lasting relationships for our Littles. Each Big, Little and parent/caregiver has a dedicated Match Support Specialist teamed with them to provide coaching, case management support, and access to needed resources. This is critical to ensure
that the relationship develops appropriately, is safe, and meets the youth’s individual development plan and goals.
Funding received from Centerville Washington Foundation will be used to support the Centerville Bigs, Littles, and their families we serve through our programs. This includes the continuation of 33 current matches, as well as beginning service for the 1 Centerville Little, and one Big, who are currently on our waiting list. Specifically, funding will support our professional Match Support staff and produce the various resources needed to recruit, screen, match, orient, train, and monitor the adult volunteers required to expand our mentoring services in the Centerville area.
Apply for a grant from Centerville Washington Foundation
Give a donation to the Centerville Washington Foundation
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 6 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!