Kalael Hartfield walked in the doors and looked overwhelmed. As he spoke more with his future Big, he warmed up and smiled more. They talked about sports and how much the Indianapolis Colts suck.
Kalael, 9, and his Big, IU Police Department officer Ryan Skaggs, are part of the Bigs with Badges program, which pairs 6- to 18-year-olds with first responders. They were the first Bigs with Badges pair for Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Central Indiana. The two met for the first time Thursday morning at Fairview Elementary School, which consisted of them chatting and playing basketball.
Caitlyn Graber, Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Central Indiana program coordinator, said the program has been reaching out to other community organizations to help pair more children with adults.
Creating the Bigs with Badges program was also an effort to solve a logistical problem, she said. Not many men sign up to be a Big, so creating a program which targets jobs such as firefighters, emergency medical technicians and police officers — male-dominated fields — can help fill that void.
“I was a little giddy when they called me,” Skaggs said about the organization finding a child to pair him with, as he has been waiting since 2019. “I’ve really been looking forward to it.”
He said he volunteered with children at his church when he was a teenager and he always enjoyed it.
Being part of the community and being a positive role model for kids is an extension of his job, Skaggs said. Skaggs said he views his role as a police officer about going out and trying to make life better for people, even if it’s just one person.
“The best way in the 21st century to do our job is community engagement,” he said.
Graber said the Bigs with Badges program meant to add a positive influence to the childrens’ lives. The employees work tirelessly to ensure the matches fit together seamlessly, conducting numerous interviews with mentors and mentees, making sure the pairs' personalities will work well together.
“We’re really focused on the potential of children and defending and protecting that,” Graber said.
Graber said she’s excited about the future of the program, because the promotion of Bigs with Badges has attracted a lot of people interested in being mentors.
Kalael and Skaggs ended their first meeting shooting hoops at the 3-point line in the Fairview Elementary School gym court.
“It's gonna be great,” Skaggs said. "It's really special."
