Louisville Metro Government forming partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters to curb youth violence
Left to right: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kentuckiana CEO Gary Friedman, Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg, and mentee Shauna Loggers take the stage to announce the Mayor’s Mentorship Initiative.
Watch the full coverage from WLKY’s Edward Smith here!
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Louisville is forming a partnership with an organization that Mayor Craig Greenberg says will help keep young people out of trouble.
College junior Shauna Loggers says she would still be trying to figure out who she is if it weren't for a mentor who has been with her throughout every stage of life.
"Since I was, like, 13. So she's seen every awkward phase, every hairstyle, everything. Every nails, everything," Loggers said.
Loggers met her mentor eight years ago through Big Brothers Big Sisters, a group that creates one-on-one mentoring relationships.
She says this relationship had a big impact on her life.
"It helped me a lot with developing my taste for things and developing social skills and stuff like that. Having that mentor there, she really helped me a lot with a lot of that stuff," Loggers said.
Greenberg announced on Tuesday a partnership with the organization to encourage 5,000 people who work for Metro Government to be mentors, with hopes of preventing violent crime.
"These partnerships are helping kids grow, helping them learn more about what's possible, what dreams they might have, what they should be focusing on in school, how to do better in school, keeping them out of the criminal justice system," Greenberg said.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kentuckiana CEO Gary Friedman says there are more than 200 young people (“Littles”) who need mentors.
"We're hopeful that more businesses in our community step up and see the value, and the difference it makes in their employees from a workforce development standpoint," Friedman said.
It’s an impact those like Loggers have experienced firsthand.
"Everyone needs somebody in their corner. everybody needs somebody to help them explain things that most parents can't explain," Loggers said.