For Hub City Times

STEVENS POINT – The board of directors of Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) of Wood County is pleased to announce it has merged with BBBS of Central Wisconsin.

BBBS Wood County has been operating as a small, Marshfield-based agency, for several years. The financial constraints of remaining an independent BBBS affiliate, and the limited staffing we were able to support, restricted our ability to keep up with the growing needs of our community.  After reviewing several options, the Board agreed we needed to seek alternatives to ensure children in Marshfield had access to the Big Brothers Big Sisters program for years to come.  We have determined that the best way to expand and sustain our program is to combine with another BBBS affiliate.

BBBS of Central Wisconsin brings a team of highly experienced staff to our community. The staff have a combined experience of over 100 years of working with the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. Executive Director Dawn Cherek and Program Director Allie Dorshorst have over 25 years combined experience serving children in Portage County. Dawn and her team have expanded the program to over 300 families in the Portage County region.

A BBBS Wood County Leadership Council will support the staff in its Wood County activities. We are projecting a very substantial increase in matches in 2018 under our new structure. BBBS will maintain an office in Marshfield. Allie Dorshorst will lead our Wood County efforts, and we are actively recruiting for a Match Specialist. With the merger, we are able to eliminate administrative costs that can now be re-directed to supporting our matches. All Wood County fundraising will remain segregated and invested exclusively in Wood County.

For more information on BBBS, call 715-341-0661.