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Don O'Neill: Where are the men? Step up and volunteer for a child

BY Alyssa Kleven  on October 28, 2011 @ 3:21 pm (Updated: 4:51 pm - 10/28/11 )

On Wednesday, 97.3 KIRO FM's Ron & Don Show put out a call for mentors to step up. They were heartbroken after hearing so many stories of children being abused in the news, and wanted to do something to help.

bigbrother
Littles are waiting for big brothers in the Puget Sound area. Jesse Gilliam with the organization said Bigs should pick activities that both them and their littles like to do, like this Big, who learning how to DJ from his Little. (AP Photo)

Being familiar with Big Brothers and Big Sisters, they suggested that The Nation volunteer. Twenty-one thousand children nationwide are waiting for someone to take them under their wing and mentor them, but according to Don O'Neill's Facebook page, those that were stepping up were mostly women.

Learn more about becoming a Big Brother or a Big Sister in the Puget Sound here

"Samantha, Lisa, Jeanette, Joann, Josie, Liza, Nancy," Don said. "One guy wrote. Thank you, Jason."

'Where are the men?' wondered Don.

"A lot of kids in our program are raised by single moms," said Jesse Gilliam with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Puget Sound. "They have some really strong women in their lives, and are looking to have a male role model in their life to step up."

Gilliam said that 70 percent of their volunteers are women, so they want to reach out to great men in the area.

"We have about 300 kids that are waiting for mentors, for volunteer mentors in the Puget Sound region right now, most all of them are boys."

Gilliam said that volunteers should do things will their Littles that they would enjoy as well. He said that he walks around green lake, plays soccer or board games and goes to the library with his Little.

"If you don't look out for them," Don said, "No one else is [...] there are ways for us to stand up for kids and be a part of their village."

Alyssa Kleven, MyNorthwest.com Editor
Alyssa Kleven is an editor and content producer at MyNorthwest.com. She enjoys doting over her adorable dachshund Winnie - named for Arcade Fire front-man Win Butler.
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  • Mr KaBoom! wrote...
    Where are the men???
    October 29, 2011 8:48 pm
    Guess what? Women have been told they don't NEED men! We're just "accessories" in their lives. Pardon me if I don't want to get involved in something I never had a say in!
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