Mayor Jim Slowik honored volunteers of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Island County with a proclamation on Jan. 19 during the City Council meeting.

Big Brothers Big Sisters Match Coordinator Carrie Riepma was there with her Little Sister Cheyanne Winchester, along with Big Brother Jonathan Morales, who accepted the proclamation with his Little Brother Jacob Urista on behalf of all Bigs on Whidbey Island.

Morales and his Little Brother will have been matched for three years next month.

Morales is in the US Navy and the mayor thanked him for his service to the community through his work in the Navy and Big Brothers Big Sisters.

“I want to encourage everyone to take a moment to thank the person who has been a mentor and role model to you in your own life,” Riepma said during the council presentation.

The mayors of Langley and Coupeville will also issue proclamations this month to celebrate National Mentoring Month, which celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2011.

The goal of this celebration is to focus attention on the need for mentors, as well as how individuals, businesses, government agencies, schools, faith communities and nonprofits can work together to increase the number of mentors and brighten the futures for young people.

The Whidbey Island mayors follow the lead of President Barack Obama who signed a similarly-worded proclamation in December.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Island County has been helping bring volunteer mentors together with youths in our Whidbey Island community for the past 11 years.

To learn more about Big Brothers Big Sisters of Island County, visit www.bbbsislandcounty.org or call 279-0644.