{"id":308606,"date":"2026-05-26T01:55:07","date_gmt":"2026-05-26T01:55:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/308606\/"},"modified":"2026-05-26T01:55:07","modified_gmt":"2026-05-26T01:55:07","slug":"nearly-400-san-antonio-boys-in-need-of-male-adult-mentors-big-brothers-big-sisters-south-texas-says","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/308606\/","title":{"rendered":"Nearly 400 San Antonio boys in need of male adult mentors, Big Brothers Big Sisters South Texas says"},"content":{"rendered":"

SAN ANTONIO \u2013 For many young people, one consistent adult can change the course of their life, according to the nationwide mentorship program Big Brothers Big Sisters<\/a> (BBBS).<\/p>\n

That is the message BBBS pushes amid a mentorship deficit, according to organization leaders. Hundreds of children across San Antonio are still waiting to be matched with a mentor \u2014 especially boys hoping for a positive male role model.<\/p>\n

Nearly 400 boys in San Antonio are waiting for a \u201cBig\u201d \u2014 an adult mentor\u2014 and the greatest need is for Black and Latino men willing to step into mentorship roles, BBBS South Texas said.<\/p>\n

More than 1,000 trained mentors are matched with \u201cLittles\u201d across San Antonio, and the average community-based mentoring relationship lasts more than 33 months, according to BBBS South Texas. Some matches have lasted more than a decade.<\/p>\n

Fifteen-year-old Shilou Mack\u2019s mentorship became life-changing when he was matched with Gable Crowder four years ago, in the seventh grade.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing able to look up to him as a leader, and showing me what he does, made me want to start doing what he does,\u201d Mack said. \u201cIt pushes me greater than I already am.\u201d<\/p>\n

Crowder, who serves as director of community engagement for BBBS South Texas, said their relationship began through a workplace mentoring program at Jackson Middle School.<\/p>\n

Since then, the two have bonded over basketball, music, community events and competitive games of Uno.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s been a consistent role model, a listening ear, and a friend,\u201d Crowder said.<\/p>\n

Mack said the relationship helped him grow from a shy middle school student into a more confident teenager.<\/p>\n

\u201cI learned character, Mack said. \u201dI learned how to be more of a man.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said having another trusted adult in his life made a major difference.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been fun just to know someone can come scoop me up and we can go have fun,\u201d Mack said. \u201cIt\u2019s like an extra person to talk to.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mentorship is not about having all the answers, according to Crowder; it is about simply being present.<\/p>\n

\u201cI remember when I was his age, and I wish I would have had a \u2018me\u2019 navigating through middle school, especially high school,\u201d Crowder said.<\/p>\n

Crowder, a military veteran who has mentored youth for more than two decades, said many families in the program are led by single parents who are specifically seeking male role models for their sons.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe majority of the families we have are single-parent homes, and they need men, especially men of color,\u201d Crowder said. \u201cThe impact that it has is needed, and it\u2019s a must.\u201d<\/p>\n

The organization\u2019s latest report<\/a> shows mentorship can significantly improve long-term outcomes for children and teenagers:<\/p>\n

\u201cLittles\u201d reported an 88% increase in confidence<\/p>\n

81% showed a more positive mindset towards academics<\/p>\n

The mentored youth experience saw a 20% reduction in depressive symptoms<\/p>\n

Youth with mentors showed a 16% increase in emotional regulation<\/p>\n

Youth in mentoring programs are 46% less likely to use drugs or alcohol, skip school or become involved in violence or crime<\/p>\n

An economic study from BBBS<\/a> found \u201cLittles\u201d are 20% more likely to enroll in college and earn higher incomes later in life.<\/p>\n

The growing need for mentorship comes amid worsening mental health challenges among young people nationwide, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention<\/a>. Forty percent of youths report feeling persistently sad or hopeless.<\/p>\n

The U.S. Surgeon General has also declared loneliness a public health crisis among young people.<\/p>\n

BBBS South Texas said mentorship helps address those challenges by giving children stable, caring relationships and a stronger sense of belonging.<\/p>\n

\u201cYouth mentoring relationships can fundamentally change the trajectory of a young person\u2019s life,\u201d the organization stated in its report.<\/p>\n

The greatest need for male mentors is on the East and South sides of San Antonio, according to Crowder. Many children face challenges connected to poverty, mental health struggles, and a lack of access to support systems.<\/p>\n

Mentorship can help bridge those gaps, Crowder said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you have graduated from high school and you\u2019ve got a story, you can be a \u2018Big,\u201d Crowder said. \u201cThe only thing you have to do is show up. Being there is what\u2019s important.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Mack, that consistency is what mattered most.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I talked to Gable (Crowder), I felt like I had more confidence,\u201d Mack said. \u201cIt made me feel better inside and on the outside.\u201d<\/p>\n

BBBS South Texas encourages adults interested in mentoring to apply online through the organization\u2019s website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Volunteers must be at least 18 years old and either enrolled in college, serving in the military or employed.<\/p>\n

Crowder said mentorship does not require perfection, only commitment.<\/p>\n

Read also:<\/p>\n

Copyright 2026 by KSAT – All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"SAN ANTONIO \u2013 For many young people, one consistent adult can change the course of their life, according…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":308607,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[698,111531,6527,82,27,29,28],"class_list":["post-308606","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-texas","tag-bexar-county","tag-big-brothers-big-sisters-south-texas","tag-ksatkids","tag-san-antonio","tag-texas","tag-texas-headlines","tag-texas-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/308606","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=308606"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/308606\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/308607"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=308606"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=308606"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=308606"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}