19 25 August August NNP 26 27 6 6 CD 27 28 , , , 29 33 1998 1998 CD 40 44 Dear Dear NNP 45 51 Friend Friend NNP 51 52 : : : 59 70 Adolescence Adolescence NNP 70 71 . . . 72 74 It it PRP 75 77 is be VBZ 78 79 a a DT 80 87 pivotal pivotal JJ 88 92 time time NN 93 95 in in IN 96 99 the the DT 100 104 life life NN 105 107 of of IN 108 109 a a DT 110 115 young young JJ 116 125 girl-when girl-when JJ 132 137 small small JJ 138 145 changes change NNS 146 148 in in IN 149 152 her her PRP$ 153 161 behavior behavior NN 161 162 , , , 163 165 or or CC 166 169 the the DT 170 177 choices choice NNS 178 181 she she PRP 182 187 makes make VBZ 187 188 , , , 189 192 can can MD 193 199 affect affect VB 200 203 her her PRP$ 210 216 future future NN 216 217 . . . 218 220 It it PRP 220 222 ’s ' VBZ 223 227 hard hard JJ 228 234 enough enough RB 235 238 for for IN 239 242 her her PRP 243 245 to to TO 246 250 make make VB 251 255 good good JJ 256 265 decisions decision NNS 266 270 when when WRB 271 274 she she PRP 274 276 ’s ' VBZ 283 293 surrounded surround VBN 294 296 by by IN 297 304 support support NN 304 305 . . . 306 308 It it PRP 308 310 ’s ' VBZ 311 315 even even RB 316 322 harder hard JJR 323 327 when when WRB 328 331 she she PRP 332 338 isn’t. isn't. VBZ 345 348 Big Big NNP 349 356 Sisters Sister NNPS 357 362 helps help VBZ 363 367 fill fill VB 368 372 that that DT 373 377 void void NN 378 380 by by IN 381 389 matching match VBG 390 396 caring caring NN 396 397 , , , 398 409 responsible responsible JJ 410 415 adult adult JJ 422 432 volunteers volunteer NNS 433 437 with with IN 438 445 at-risk at-risk JJ 446 451 girls girl NNS 451 452 , , , 453 457 ages age NNS 458 462 8-14 8-14 CD 462 463 . . . 464 465 A a DT 466 469 Big Big NNP 470 476 Sister Sister NNP 477 479 is be VBZ 480 481 a a DT 482 488 mentor mentor NN 488 489 , , , 490 491 a a DT 498 504 friend friend NN 505 508 and and CC 509 510 a a DT 511 515 role role NN 516 521 model model NN 521 522 , , , 523 530 helping help VBG 531 532 a a DT 533 538 young young JJ 539 543 girl girl NN 544 546 to to TO 547 554 develop develop VB 555 558 the the DT 565 580 self-confidence self-confidence NN 581 584 and and CC 585 589 life life NN 590 596 skills skill NNS 597 606 necessary necessary JJ 607 609 to to TO 610 616 become become VB 617 618 a a DT 619 630 responsible responsible JJ 630 631 , , , 638 648 productive productive JJ 649 652 and and CC 653 663 successful successful JJ 664 669 adult adult NN 669 670 . . . 671 675 Your your PRP$ 676 677 $ $ $ 677 682 1,000 1,000 CD 683 695 contribution contribution NN 696 699 can can MD 700 703 put put VB 704 705 a a DT 712 718 mentor mentor NN 719 721 in in IN 722 723 a a DT 724 729 child child NN 729 731 ’s 's POS 732 740 life-and life-and JJ 741 745 hope hope NN 746 748 in in IN 749 750 a a DT 751 756 child child NN 756 758 ’s 's POS 759 765 future future NN 765 766 . . . 773 776 The the DT 777 784 results result NNS 785 787 of of IN 788 790 an an DT 791 799 18-month 18-month JJ 800 805 study study NN 806 815 completed complete VBN 816 818 by by IN 819 833 Public/Private Public/Private NNP 834 842 Ventures Venture NNPS 849 855 showed show VBD 856 860 that that IN 861 869 children child NNS 870 883 participating participate VBG 884 886 in in IN 887 897 one-to-one one-to-one NN 898 901 Big Big NNP 902 908 Sister Sister NNP 909 912 and and CC 913 916 Big Big NNP 923 930 Brother Brother NNP 931 938 matches match VBZ 939 942 for for IN 943 947 just just RB 948 951 one one CD 952 956 year year NN 956 957 , , , 958 965 reduced reduce VBD 966 971 first first JJ 972 976 time time NN 977 981 drug drug NN 982 985 use use NN 986 988 by by IN 989 991 46 46 CD 991 992 % % NN 992 993 ; ; : 1000 1007 lowered lower VBN 1008 1014 school school NN 1015 1026 absenteeism absenteeism NN 1027 1029 by by IN 1030 1032 52 52 CD 1032 1033 % % NN 1033 1034 ; ; : 1035 1038 cut cut VBN 1039 1049 aggressive aggressive JJ 1050 1058 behavior behavior NN 1059 1061 by by IN 1062 1064 33 33 CD 1064 1065 % % NN 1065 1066 ; ; : 1073 1081 enhanced enhance VBN 1082 1088 school school NN 1089 1100 performance performance NN 1100 1101 ; ; : 1102 1105 and and CC 1106 1114 improved improve VBN 1115 1124 relations relation NNS 1125 1129 with with IN 1130 1136 family family NN 1137 1140 and and CC 1147 1154 friends friend NNS 1154 1155 . . . 1162 1166 This this DT 1167 1169 is be VBZ 1170 1178 positive positive JJ 1179 1184 proof proof NN 1185 1189 that that IN 1190 1193 Big Big NNP 1194 1201 Sisters Sisters NNPS 1202 1212 one-to-one one-to-one NN 1213 1222 mentoring mentore VBG 1223 1230 program program NN 1237 1242 helps help VBZ 1243 1249 change change VB 1250 1255 lives life NNS 1255 1256 . . . 1257 1262 Today today NN 1262 1263 , , , 1264 1266 we we PRP 1267 1270 are be VBP 1271 1279 offering offer VBG 1280 1283 you you PRP 1284 1287 the the DT 1288 1299 opportunity opportunity NN 1300 1302 to to TO 1303 1307 help help VB 1314 1320 change change VB 1321 1322 a a DT 1323 1327 life life NN 1327 1328 . . . 1329 1331 By by IN 1332 1344 contributing contribute VBG 1345 1346 $ $ $ 1346 1351 1,000 1,000 CD 1352 1355 you you PRP 1356 1359 can can MD 1360 1367 support support VB 1368 1371 one one CD 1372 1377 match match NN 1378 1381 for for IN 1382 1385 one one CD 1392 1396 year year NN 1396 1397 . . . 1398 1402 This this DT 1403 1408 money money NN 1409 1418 maintains maintain VBZ 1419 1422 the the DT 1423 1437 infrastructure infrastructure NN 1438 1442 that that WDT 1443 1450 fosters foster VBZ 1451 1454 and and CC 1455 1463 supports support VBZ 1470 1473 the the DT 1474 1485 development development NN 1486 1488 of of IN 1489 1498 effective effective JJ 1499 1512 relationships relationship NNS 1512 1513 . . . 1514 1518 This this DT 1519 1527 includes include VBZ 1528 1529 a a DT 1530 1539 volunteer volunteer NN 1546 1555 screening screening NN 1556 1563 process process NN 1563 1564 , , , 1565 1576 orientation orientation NN 1576 1577 , , , 1578 1586 training training NN 1587 1590 and and CC 1591 1598 ongoing ongoing JJ 1599 1610 supervision supervision NN 1611 1614 and and CC 1621 1628 support support NN 1629 1631 by by IN 1632 1633 a a DT 1634 1646 professional professional JJ 1647 1652 staff staff NN 1652 1653 . . . 1660 1662 As as IN 1663 1664 a a DT 1665 1675 Matchmaker Matchmaker NNP 1676 1679 you you PRP 1680 1684 will will MD 1685 1692 receive receive VB 1693 1694 a a DT 1695 1706 description description NN 1707 1709 of of IN 1710 1711 “ `` `` 1711 1715 your your PRP$ 1716 1721 match match NN 1721 1722 ” '' '' 1723 1726 and and CC 1727 1729 be be VB 1736 1746 identified identify VBN 1747 1749 as as IN 1750 1751 a a DT 1752 1762 Matchmaker Matchmaker NNP 1763 1765 on on IN 1766 1767 a a DT 1768 1774 plaque plaque NN 1775 1777 in in IN 1778 1781 the the DT 1782 1785 Big Big NNP 1786 1793 Sisters Sisters NNPS 1794 1800 office office NN 1800 1801 , , , 1802 1804 in in IN 1805 1808 the the DT 1815 1821 agency agency NN 1822 1832 newsletter newsletter NN 1833 1836 and and CC 1837 1843 annual annual JJ 1844 1850 report report NN 1850 1851 . . . 1858 1863 Today Today NNP 1864 1867 Big Big NNP 1868 1875 Sisters Sister NNPS 1876 1882 serves serve VBZ 1883 1887 over over IN 1888 1893 1,000 1,000 CD 1894 1899 girls girl NNS 1900 1902 in in IN 1903 1910 central central JJ 1911 1918 Indiana Indiana NNP 1918 1919 . . . 1920 1923 But but CC 1924 1927 for for IN 1934 1938 each each DT 1939 1943 girl girl NN 1944 1950 served serve VBD 1950 1951 , , , 1952 1956 more more JJR 1957 1960 are be VBP 1961 1965 left leave VBN 1966 1974 unserved unserved JJ 1974 1975 . . . 1976 1980 Over over IN 1981 1984 235 235 CD 1985 1990 girls girl NNS 1991 1994 are be VBP 1995 2004 currently currently RB 2011 2018 waiting wait VBG 2019 2022 for for IN 2023 2024 a a DT 2025 2028 Big Big NNP 2029 2035 Sister Sister NNP 2035 2036 . . . 2037 2044 Imagine imagine NN 2045 2048 the the DT 2049 2059 difference difference NN 2060 2063 the the DT 2064 2073 community community NN 2074 2079 could could MD 2080 2084 make make VB 2091 2093 if if IN 2094 2098 each each DT 2099 2111 congregation congregation NN 2112 2119 pledged pledge VBD 2120 2123 its its PRP$ 2124 2131 support support NN 2132 2134 of of IN 2135 2138 one one CD 2139 2142 Big big JJ 2143 2150 Sisters Sister NNPS 2151 2156 match match NN 2156 2157 ! ! . 2164 2165 I I PRP 2166 2175 encourage encourage VBP 2176 2179 you you PRP 2180 2182 to to TO 2183 2187 Join join VB 2188 2190 me me PRP 2191 2193 in in IN 2194 2204 presenting present VBG 2205 2209 this this DT 2210 2220 matchmaker matchmaker NN 2221 2230 challenge challenge NN 2231 2233 to to TO 2240 2244 your your PRP$ 2245 2257 congregation congregation NN 2257 2258 . . . 2265 2274 Sincerely sincerely RB 2274 2275 , , , 2282 2285 Dr. Dr. NNP 2286 2291 Linda Linda NNP 2292 2297 McCoy McCoy NNP 2298 2304 Pastor Pastor NNP 2304 2305 , , , 2306 2309 THE the DT 2310 2316 GARDEN GARDEN NNP 2317 2318 A A NNP 2319 2326 Blossom Blossom NNP 2327 2329 of of IN 2330 2333 St. St. NNP 2334 2338 Luke Luke NNP 2338 2340 ’s 's POS 2341 2347 United United NNP 2354 2363 Methodist Methodist NNP 2364 2370 Church Church NNP