(AUDIO) Florence Parks on KHUM

As executive director of North Coast Big Brothers Big Sisters, Florence Parks is intimately aware of the struggles youth face daily here in Humboldt. Currently, there are currently 38 local kids on her organization’s waitlist — including one who has been waiting for over 1,000 days — who are in desperate need of mentorship that could positively alter their life path forever. If you’re a person that’s wondered whether or not you have time to make a difference, Parks wants to encourage you: You do. 

“It takes little to be big,” she said in an interview this week with KHUM’s Toby Tullis. “It’s like having lunch with a young person once a week. We have a program called Lunch Buddies, where you can spend one lunch time with a young person every single week. That’s 20 minutes! … And it changes their environment!”

NCBBBS: Let’s roll

It’s the work of connecting kids to positive influences they might otherwise never encounter that make Bowl for Kids’ Sake so important. Every year, community members pack Harbor Lanes to raise funds for North Coast Big Brothers Big Sisters by throwing a few strikes and gutters. 

Is this event worth your time? Well, we’ll mention that this year’s edition is mushroom-themed — clearly wonderful — but also, we encourage you to listen to Parks’ KHUM interview by clicking the player above so you can experience how passionate she is about improving the lives of at-risk youth in Humboldt. 

For more information about North Coast Big Brothers Big Sisters and/or the 2025 edition of Bowl For Kids’ Sake, head to NCBBBS.org.

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