Big Brothers Big Sisters and Latina Mom Bloggers Calls on Hombres to Step Up and Become Mentors at Upcoming Twitter Party #LatinoBigs

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• Latin America - español

IRVING, Texas, Oct. 8, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Join us on Tuesday, October 8^th at 9 p.m. EDT/6 p.m. PDT, as Big Brothers Big Sisters of America co-presents a Twitter Party with the Latina Mom Bloggers network to create a strong call-to-action to the hombres in their lives – tios, hermanos, esposos and even abuelitos, to become mentors for Latino youth.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110613/PH17540LOGO )

To register for the Twitter party, visit this page: http://www.latinamombloggers.com/latinas-motivating-hombres-to-step-up-as-mentors-latinobigs-twitter-party/

"This year during Hispanic Heritage Month, the Latino community has much to feel good about, whether it is pride in the advancement of culture, education, or politics," says Deanna Sauceda, director of Media Relations and Community Engagement for Big Brothers Big Sisters. "Despite these great strides, many Hispanic youth continue to face challenges in a range of areas from poor academic performance to the effects of poverty. Independent studies find once enrolled in the program, children are more likely than their peers to improve in school, make healthier choices and achieve higher self-esteem and aspirations."

Big Brothers Big Sisters invites Latino adults, especially men, to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15 – Oct. 15) for a conversation on Twitter, "Latinas Motivating Hombres to Step Up as Mentors Twitter Party #LatinoBigs" to learn how they can become a mentor and change a child's life for the better. 

Sauceda continued, "We have thousands of Hispanic children waiting for mentors and especially boys, so all the more reason to take part in this very important call to action!" 

More than 70% of the children ready and waiting to be matched with a mentor are boys, yet only 3 of 10 volunteer inquiries come from men. 

"As mothers, wives, sisters, amigas and more we carry tremendous influence over the men in our lives," said Cristy Clavijo-Kish, co-founder and Co-CEO of the Latina Mom Blogger group, a network of more than 550 mom bloggers across the United States. "During the October 8th Twitter chat, you'll learn how to start the conversation, motivate and recruit Latino men to become much needed mentors for our youth."

Twitter Party Details: 

What: Latino Bigs Hispanic Heritage Month Twitter Party
When: Tuesday, October 8, 2013 at 6 p.m. PDT/9 p.m. EDT
Where: Twitter 
Hashtag: #LATINOBIGS
Moderators: Latina Mom Blogs (http://www.facebook.com/latinamomblogs) 

Big Brothers Big Sisters serves children in low-income, single parent, and military families or households where a parent is incarcerated. Independent studies find once enrolled in the program, children are more likely than their peers to improve in school, make healthier choices and achieve higher self-esteem and aspirations. 

LatinoBigs.org features honorary Big Campeones, business, education and juvenile justice leaders; members of the mentoring network's National Hispanic Advisory Council; and others who support and promote the program. The site also highlights video testimonials from Latino mentors and mentees who will share stories of how the program impacts their lives. In addition, LatinoBigs.org features popular Hispanic bloggers, enabling the mentoring network to leverage the power of social media to recruit volunteers and donors.

About Big Brothers Big Sisters

For more than 100 years, Big Brothers Big Sisters has operated under the belief that inherent in every child is the ability to succeed and thrive in life. As the nation's largest donor and volunteer supported mentoring network, Big Brothers Big Sisters' mission is to provide children facing adversity with strong and enduring, professionally supported one-to-one relationships that change their lives for the better, forever. 

Partnering with parents/guardians, schools, corporations and others in the community, Big Brothers Big Sisters carefully pairs children ("Littles") with screened volunteer mentors ("Bigs") and monitors and supports them in one-to-one mentoring matches throughout their course. The organization holds itself accountable for children in the program to achieve measurable outcomes, such as higher aspirations; greater confidence and better relationships; educational success; and avoidance of delinquency and other risky behaviors. Most children served by Big Brothers Big Sisters are in single-parent and low-income families or households where a parent is incarcerated. Headquartered in Philadelphia with a network of about 350 agencies across the country, Big Brothers Big Sisters serves nearly 240,000 children. Learn how you can positively impact a child's life, donate or volunteer at BigBrothersBigSisters.org or LatinoBigs.org. 

SOURCE Big Brothers Big Sisters of America