Jeffrey Chin
PHOTO/MATT VOLPINI
It's a simple concept: Matching at-risk youth with responsible adult mentors.
But numbers show that results of such efforts are intricately impressive. For example, a 2009 survey conducted for Big Brothers Big Sisters shows 77 percent of adults mentored as children set higher goals than they would have on their own. They also steered clear of dangerous behaviors and were more likely to help others. Locally, more than 1,200 children were served by Chin's agency in 2013.
Chin, who has been CEO for just over a year — was a very new face for the organization. Before that, Ben Ticho had headed the agency for 34 years. Chin unveiled a three-year strategic plan this past January to better chart the agency's course. Calling adult mentors “Bigs” and the children “Littles,” one main focus is addressing what Chin calls “the backbone of our agency” — Bigs.
“We're excited to cultivate a renewed culture of professional development and emphasis on providing the best support we can,” Chin said of Bigs in the programs, with ramped-up training, safety protocols and best-practice standards.
As for Chin — a previous mentor with Wayside Youth in Framingham — he's seen the impact of seemingly simple matchups with children in need. “Often times,” he said, “the most vulnerable and at-risk children need nothing more than a consistent and reliable presence to help support and believe in them.”
Offering him a wider scope of perspective, Chin is making changes as close to home as he is abroad. His service as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Naval Reserve takes him to the Middle East periodically. BBBS's work continues with a competent staff he leaves behind when he travels. Members of the agency's board of directors, whom Chin calls “some really talented people,” are building new connections with area businesses, broadening the network. This goal is also being accomplished with a new President's Council, a bigger board of corporators and the new Alumni and Friends Association, geared toward getting younger professionals involved as mentors.
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MetroWest 10 To Watch 2014 - Jeffrey Chin, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Mass/MetroWest
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