Officer Tad Hoeschen
The St. Cloud Police Department and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Minnesota have begun an initiative called “Bigs in Blue”, which will allow on duty St. Cloud police officers to go into schools to mentor youth facing adversity in the St. Cloud School District.
Tad Hoeschen, a police officer that helped to develop the partnership between the police department and Big Brothers Big Sisters states “the value of one-on-one mentoring is priceless in fighting some of the many issues that our youth face.” Officer Hoeschen is a newly accepted Big Brother and is looking forward to being matched soon.
Police Chief Blair Anderson immediately supported the “Bigs in Blue” program. An advocate for youth and youth programming, Chief Anderson states “The work that BBBS does is invaluable. It has a positive impact on the community at large because by intervening in the lives of young people, we nurture and preserve one of our most important resources.”
Chief Blair Anderson
“These officers are already giving so much to our community but are willing to do even more because they see on a daily basis the need for positive role models for our youth. We are very excited about this partnership and the support of the St. Cloud Police Department,” stated Ann Matvick, Program Director at Big Brothers Big Sisters.
The officers will be paired with a child on Big Brothers Big Sisters’ waiting list of 180+ youth and will meet weekly to provide friendship, guidance, and support.