United Way of Treasure Valley is mobilizing hundreds of potential Big Brother and Big Sister volunteers next week to help raise awareness about the importance of youth mentoring — hopefully matching up a few kids with adult role models along the way.

Through a partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters and The Mentoring Network, United Way's Day of Caring, scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 15, will pair local youth with adult mentors, giving both participants a non-committal opportunity to "try each other out" for a day.

"Last year, we had over 100 men and women participate (in Day of Caring), and about half of those continued on in our process to become Bigs," said Jenny Sarault, vice president of marketing for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Idaho.

"Our specific goal was to increase the number of Big Brothers, and it worked. Last year's event helped us match 57 little boys with Big Brothers in the last three months of year," she said.

More than 150 kids, most of whom are boys, are waiting for a Big Brother or Big Sister. So far this year, Big Brothers Big Sisters has paired more than 923 children with a mentor and organizers expect to match at least 1,000 by the end of December.

"Mentoring is one of the best ways to have an influence on the life of a child," said Sally Zive, president and CEO of United Way of Treasure Valley.

Zive emphasized that committing to a child is not about elaborate gifts or activities, but rather the time spent together doing little things, she said.

"Throw a Frisbee in the park, play a video game, make cookies — it's the time together that really matters. Even a couple of hours a month can make a difference."

Rob Christensen attended United Way's 2006 Day of Caring event to see if becoming a mentor was right for him.

"I was sold. Being able to impact a young person's life and be a positive influence before they get into trouble really made sense to me," Christensen said.

Christensen has been matched with his Little Brother, Bryce, for almost a year. He attends Bryce's football games and the two enjoy spending time together doing what Bryce calls "guy stuff."

On Nov. 15, volunteer mentors will visit schools in Boise, Meridian and Nampa during noon-time activities. In Canyon County they can also go to the Nampa Boys & Girls Club or the Caldwell YMCA after school.

Following a short orientation, volunteers will be matched with a child and have lunch or a snack with them and participate in a variety of different activities.

A national study on the impact between BBBS mentors and mentees who meet for at least one year concluded that 46 percent of the kids were less likely to start using drugs; 27 percent were less likely to start drinking; 33 percent were less likely to act violently; and 52 percent were less likely to skip a day of school.

"We often hear from people (especially men) that they've always thought about becoming a mentor, but something has held them back," Sarault said. "This is their chance to give it a try."