Beatty Big Friends

Over a third of all children ages five or under in the Ypsilanti community are living in poverty. Many simply don’t have enough connection to caring adults outside the family. When a supportive adult makes a consistent connection and offers friendship, it can make an incredible difference. Our Project Outreach volunteers become a “Big Friend” as they show up each week (up to 4 hours) in a public preschool with an encouraging and re-affirming presence. We provide our volunteers with training before beginning their assignment and support them on a weekly basis onsite at Beatty Early Learning Center, a public preschool, in Ypsilanti, Michigan, where they work directly with kids and teachers.