HARRISONBURG,VA. — Lindsey Douglas, Resource Development Director for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Harrisonburg-Rockingham County was honored with the Margaret Slack Award for professional excellence by Big Brothers Big Sisters of America at the organization’s national conference on June 17.
The Margaret Slack award is presented to a Big Brothers Big Sisters staff person who has demonstrated an outstanding level of professionalism and quality of service. The award provides a $1,000 grant for the recipient’s continued professional training. One winner is selected annually from nominations received from within the network of nearly 350 Big Brothers Big Sisters agencies across the country. Funding for the award is provided through the Margaret R. Slack Endowment Fund, established in 1992 to honor the memory of Margaret Slack, a dedicated Big Brothers Big Sisters of America staffer who died in 1991.
Ms. Douglas has been the Resource Development Director for the local agency since 2010.
“Lindsey has spent countless hours collaborating with staff and volunteers to transform our organization into an innovative, high performing agency which demonstrates positive youth outcomes,” explains Executive Director Sue Totty. “Lindsey’s leadership style is grounded in her personal integrity and value for high ethical standards of performance and stewardship of resources within our agency. She serves as a role model and mentor to other fundraising professionals in our service area.”
In addition, for the second consecutive year, the local affiliate was recognized for high performance with a Program Quality Award. The award was presented to the top ten percent of agencies across the network. Agencies selected for the Program Quality Award must demonstrate excellence in quality mentoring services, including sustained long-term mentoring relationships and an increase in the number of children served.The Big Brothers Big Sisters Youth Outcome Survey finds that children enrolled in the organization’s one-to-one mentoring program for at least a year progress in areas related to education, behavior and socio-emotional well-being. Local evaluation data from 2013 shows that 68% of children served maintained or improved avoidance of risky behaviors, 65% maintained or improved grades and 77% showed improvement in their sense of social acceptance by peers.
About Big Brothers Big Sisters
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Harrisonburg-Rockingham County is a youth-services organization that pairs adult mentors in professionally guided, one-to-one matches with children facing adversity. As an affiliate of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, the nation’s largest donor and volunteer supported mentoring network, the organization holds itself accountable for children in the program to achieve positive, measurable outcomes through research-based methods. Among other improvements, local evaluation data shows that children served progress academically, avoid delinquency, and experience increased self-confidence. Founded locally in 1976 as an outreach of Trinity Presbyterian Church, the organization is the largest Big Brothers Big Sisters agency in the state ofVirginia, serving 791 youth in 2013. For more information, please call 540.433.8886 or visit www.bbbshr.org.