Making a difference every day
By Joey Berlin
Originally published 10:02 a.m., February 2, 2008
Updated 10:02 a.m., February 2, 2008
Nonprofit organizations and working with children are two of Courtney Graves’ passions. As the new executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Flint Hills, she gets to indulge both.
“I think that (children are) our future, and they deserve the chance to have a bright childhood and to have some good leadership in their life,” said Grace, who started her job Jan. 22. “I love the nonprofit world. I think that when you work for a nonprofit, you do it because you love the organization. And the opportunity to work with the community — you feel like you make a difference every day, and that’s kind of my life motto.”
Graves, her husband, Larry, and their 9-month-old daughter, Samantha, moved to Emporia back in October after living in Odessa, Texas. Larry Graves is the manager of the under-construction Westar Energy plant.
A Texas girl at heart, Graves also has lived in Oklahoma for part of her life and has an elementary education degree from Oklahoma State University. While living in Stillwater, Okla., she served as executive director of the Payne County Expo Centre. She and her husband went from there to Monroe, La., and then to Odessa, where Courtney served as executive director of Keep Odessa Beautiful, a subsidiary of Don’t Mess With Texas.
Amy Miller, program coordinator for Big Brothers Big Sisters, describes Graves as “high-energy and very personable.”
“She is trying to learn all the programs, so she has a lot that she’s trying to learn right now, but I think she’s going to be doing a great job,” Miller said. “She’s very bubbly.”
Initially, Graves’ main concern will be finding Big Brothers and Sisters to match with children on the program’s waiting list. Her office is responsible for finding matches for children in Lyon, Chase, Coffey and Osage counties. About 30 children are on the Lyon County waiting list, and Graves believes she can find matches for all of them. Her goal is to find 100 matches for children in all four counties by June 30.
“I think Big Brothers Big Sisters has a great reputation within the community, and my goal is to get involved in a lot of community organizations and become a part of the community and get the word out there,” Graves said. “And I think that we have a very giving and highly responsible volunteer level within the community, so I think once we get the word out there, I think it’s doable.”
The annual Bowl for Kids Sake fundraiser on April 4-6 is another high priority on Graves’ list. This year, BBBS’ goals is to raise $25,000 and have 100 four-person teams at the three-day bowling event at Flint Hills Lanes. The goal is one Graves set herself; last year, Bowl for Kids Sake raised about $11,000, but she said that in the past, the event has raised as much as $32,000.
Graves believes the organization’s reputation in the community will combine with the talents of her staff to give Big Brothers Big Sisters a good chance to reach its goals.
“We have excellent existing staff,” she said, “and we also have two interns from Emporia State that are going to be working (with) us that are extremely talented and dedicated, so they’re going to make this office function very well.”