BROWN COUNTY (NBC 26) — Brown County's Pals program matches children referred by Child Protective Services with trusted adult mentors, but a shortage of male volunteers means boys are waiting longer for a match.
Patty Sylvester has volunteered with Brown County Pals for the last decade.
"Working with the kids, you can actually see the impact that you're making," said Sylvester. "[And] you really get to know the kids and really start caring for their situation."
Sylvester says volunteers spend a few hours each month with their Pal, and the experiences don't have to cost anything.
"One of the biggest things the kids like to do is just come to your house and spend time with you," said Sylvester.
She added that the goal is to give kids positive childhood memories and a safe adult in their life.
"That's huge to them," she stated.
Sylvester's first match was with a boy named Luke.
"One day he comes over to us and says, 'Can we grill peaches?' That one was a new one because I've never grilled peaches," Sylvester remembered with a laugh.
Luke has since aged out of the program, but he and Sylvester stay in touch.
Watch the full story by Jessica Goska here:
Sylvester volunteers alongside her husband, but program leaders say there is a shortage of male volunteers. A lack of men in the program means boys wait longer for a match.
"We'll typically match males with males, females with females," Jenna Durkee explained. Durkee is a volunteer coordinator for the Pals program. She screens volunteer applicants and pairs them with a child who best matches their interests.
Durkee says boys arguably need a Pal most because they're often lacking a male role model in their life.
Pals currently has 99 matched children, and the program averages 40 to 50 waitlisted kids at any given time.
Brown County residents who want to become a Pal can click here for information about the application process.
