Business

La Crosse Foundation provides big grant to Big Brothers Big Sisters for mentor program

Published

1 year ago

February 16, 2023

A grant of nearly $100,000 is being awarded to La Crosse’s Big Brothers and Big Sisters program.

The money comes from the La Crosse Community Foundation, and its CEO Jamie Schloegel admits that this donation is “unusually large” coming from her organization. But she adds that Big Brothers and Big Sisters, also knows as “Bigs,” play a big role in helping the young people they partner with, referred to as “Littles.”

“Research shows that when compared to youth NOT in a Big Brothers Big Sisters program, Littles were 46 per cent less likely to begin using drugs, 52 per cent less likely to skip school, and much less likely to have interaction with the juvenile justice system,” Schloegel said at a Thursday check presentation.

The funding is scheduled to span a three-year period, and BBBS of the 7 Rivers Region is nearing the end of its two-month recruiting campaign.

Brad Williams

A native of Prairie du Chien, Brad graduated from UW - La Crosse and has worked in radio news for more than 30 years, mostly in the La Crosse area. He regularly covers local courts and city and county government. Brad produces the features "Yesterday in La Crosse" and "What's Buried on Brad's Desk." He also writes the website "Triviazoids," which finds odd connections between events that happen on a certain date, and he writes and performs with the local comedy group Heart of La Crosse. Brad been featured on several national TV programs because of his memory skills.