Trina Hoy

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Indiana recently announced the addition of Trina Hoy as Community Development Director for Kosciusko County. She works out of the local office located at 1603 N. Detroit St. in Warsaw.

Trina is a Kosciusko County native, and comes highly qualified having spent more than 15 years in marketing and communications. (See related)

She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Taylor University and has been active in her community for many years, including membership in the Warsaw Breakfast Optimist Club, Wagon Wheel Theatre, and Classic Arts Programs. Most recently she served as VP Communications and Events for the Warsaw Kosciusko County Chamber of Commerce. 

Big Brothers Big Sisters is a national agency that provides mentoring opportunities for kids that need a positive role model in their life. Kids are matched with an adult in either a school-based that requires less than 1 hour during the lunch hour per week or the community-based program that allows the ‘Big’ and ‘Little’ to spend quality time in the community or enjoying a variety of fun activities. In either program, only 3-4 hours of mentoring are required each month.

Big Brothers Big Sisters Northeast Indiana has been serving Kosciusko County for about twenty years and supported more than 2,000 kids in 2013. In Kosciusko County alone, the agency served more than 175 kids.

“A lot of work has been done in this county, but there are still many kids waiting for a mentor to help put them on the path to success,” said Hoy. “My goal is to grow Big Brothers Big Sisters in Kosciusko County by engaging others with our mission to show them why mentoring can be fun and something to get behind in our local community. We have a very caring and giving community and I know that once they learn more about our programs and what we’re doing here, we’ll be able to serve a lot more children that really need a mentor.”

Trina continued to discuss one of the major hot buttons related to mentoring, saying “More than 70 percent of our ‘Littles’ waiting are boys, yet only about 30 percent of volunteers are men. There is a strong need for men to help these young boys. It’s not nearly as hard as many people think either. What a better way to spend time than to be a friend to a child in need, and it only takes three to four hours a month.”

There are other ways to support the programs in Kosciusko County as well. The biggest Big Brothers Big Sisters fundraiser for Kosciusko County is coming up on March 22. Bowl for Kids’ Sake is a signature fundraising event of the agency, and is held at The Bowling Alley in Warsaw. All the money raised in Kosciusko County goes directly towards helping kids and matching them up with mentors.

By putting a team of five together with each member raising pledges, you can help provide new matches in Kosciusko County. There are great incentives and prizes to be won by attending and then raising certain dollar increments – and then the fun begins. You and your teammates raise the pledges, bring the money to the event, and then celebrate with free bowling, snacks, and refreshments. It’s as simple as that. It’s not about the bowling, it’s about the kids!

To learn more about how to be a “Big,” to participate in Bowl for Kids’ Sake, or to sponsor activities in Kosciusko County, please call 574-551-6386 or email Trina at [email protected].