MAKING POSITIVE CHANGES ONE LIFE AT A TIME. . . .
Building A Better Life Mentor Organization’s goal is to provide youth and adults with the love, patience, and guidance that will help them to succeed in today’s world. By enhancing individuals and families through monthly mentor meetings, weekly activities/services, workshops, seminars, summer camps, etc., BBLMO helps the youth of today become the self-sufficient adults of tomorrow.
Building A Better Life Mentor Organization (BBLMO) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization located in Jacksonville, Arkansas. BBLMO services are offered year around to children ages 5 to 17. Students are invited to the site based on program availability; however, academic program such as tutoring is available as needed.
BBLMO was established to provide guidance for today’s youth and young adults. As a mentor organization, our goal is to provide youth and young adults with the love, patience, and guidance that will help them to succeed in today’s world. We do this through monthly mentor meetings, weekly activities/services, workshops, seminars, summer camps, etc. Building a Better Life Mentor Organization presents a drug free stance to today’s youth in hopes of them becoming more self-sufficient adults. Some of the services we provide (and some we plan to provide) are as follows: classes with curricula focusing on student/parent relationships, abstinence among teens, family education, tutoring, after-school programs, career preparation classes, seminars, workshops, adult guidance/supervision programs, as well as other planned services. In order to ensure that our organization reaches at-risk low-income adolescents, we provide transportation to every event sponsored by BBLMO. We also collaborate with neighboring organizations to ensure a higher level of success in implementing our services. When the participants’ needs supersede our resources, we provide assistance by referring our clients to outside professionals. Volunteers from various state and local agencies were used to organize workshops and seminars that provided information about fire safety, careers as police officers, drug, tobacco and alcohol use prevention, scholarship opportunities, and music workshops.
Through BBLMO's Academic Development services, we have provided academic tutors for children and adults. BBLMO provides tutoring in general studies like Math, and English, as well as in Career Counseling. The age group for our tutoring program includes 5yrs. – 17yrs. old. The high school students also have to the opportunity to serve as mentors and tutors to younger participants.
BBLMO incorporates abstinence as a part of our program and targets children from the ages of 12 to 17. This program includes parent involvement in order to create a supportive family atmosphere for children and supervised recreational activities. Students are also encouraged to stay involved in positive activities educational and social activities to lessen the pressures of early age intercourse. Seminars have been held to teach parenting skills and to encourage youth to become and/or remain abstinent.
The purpose of BBLMO Social Development services offered in our mentor program is to ensure that the participant will have an environment that encourages them to not smoke, reduce disparities by increasing education, and thus reduce the risk of passing the behavior on to children. Therefore, some of the other services provided by the mentor program is (but is not limited to) the following:
Some of the conference subjects covered by the conferences and camps in which BBLMO hosted include the following:
Our guest for these workshops were from our partners at the Centers for Families and Youth Services and Family Service Agency.
The purpose of BBLMO Professional Development services offered in our mentor program is to assist the participant with obtaining the necessary skills to excel in today's workforce. Some of those services provided by the mentor program are (but are not limited to) the following:
BBLMO has previously worked, currently work and/or plans to work with the following organizations:
Through our partnership with Vex Robotics, BBLMO student participants (ages 10 - 18), can apply Math, Engineering, and Programming concepts to real world experiences utilizing robotic building.
The Church of Jesus Christ Provides BBLMO with financial assistance, transportation assistance, and volunteers.
Centinnal bank provided financial support and assistance.
Pulaski County Youth Services provided technical, program, and financial support to BBLMO. Youth were offered services throughout the year. As with BBLMO programs, PCYS programs are activity based. Programs such as swimming safety lessons, tennis classes, music lesson and much more are offered to BBLMO participants throughout the year.
BBLMO provided resource information to parents and students of BBLMO. CADC also provided a van, school supplies and food for commodities distribution.
Community bank provided financial support and assistance.
The C.O.J.C. of the Apostolic Faith offers volunteers for our health services program. Their nurse offers health information to participants.
Jacksonville Parks and Recreation provides facility usage for many of our programs.
Arkansas Game and Fish Commission offer program support and supplies the fish for our annual fishing derby.
Both programs have assisted us in providing materials for underprivileged families in the community.
These programs have provided the instructors for our onsite fitness programs.
Social Development