Staff Spotlight: Cindy Schreiber
Today, we’d like to shine a special spotlight on Cindy Schreiber, one of our lovely Enrollment Specialists. Cindy has been with our agency for 30 years in November, and she shares her overarching insight into Big Brothers Big Sisters.
For Cindy, there’s nothing better than time in the outdoors, and it never quite matters what she does, as long as she can enjoy the fresh air. Some of her favorite ways to spend her free time include hiking, camping, and walking the dog. Cindy enjoys a bit of travelling as well, having been to three different countries now… including a trip to France, where she jokes that she couldn’t speak a word of French, despite taking four years of it in high school.
Cindy also loves children, leading to her long-held career choice. After graduating from Adams Central High School and receiving a bachelor’s degree in social work, she landed on Big Brothers Big Sisters as her first job out of college in 1995. When she chose this nonprofit, this new social worker had been looking to work with kids in a more positive, preventative manner—rather than a program that was court-ordered or mandated. 30 years later, she’s had almost every job in the building!
Cindy first began working for BBBS part-time in Adams, her home region, and Wells County. She then went full-time and moved to Allen County as a Case Manager, then Program Manager. After her first child, she switched to a part-time secretarial role to spend more time with her kids. After they were older, Cindy began with the Site-Based program and the Community-Based program as a full-time manager again. Finally, she switched departments, where she now serves as an Enrollment Specialist.
Not only working here, Cindy also had a Little herself once, a teen girl with a low chance of getting matched again. It was hard balancing being a new mother and part of the program, but she felt the experience was worth it. 10 years after their match closed, she received a message from the Little on Facebook, who was surprised to check the BBBSNEI website and find that her former Big Sister was still there! Her Little Sister was now living out of state, had 2 children, and was in the military.
It’s safe to say Cindy’s been around the block here at BBBS, and she knows this agency inside and out.
What drew you to Big Brothers Big Sisters, and what has kept you here for 30 years?
Cindy: Everybody has a story to tell. Everybody has a different background. I know one of the things I’ve learned here is just to always keep that in mind, that everybody’s story is different, and there’s no judgment.
Everybody comes from a different background, with different values, different interests, beliefs. Just learning about people and getting to know people… It’s exciting to me.
What is your favorite thing about working at Big Brothers Big Sisters?
Cindy: Just getting to know the kids… getting to know and being supportive of the parents, too. I always make sure I make an effort to thank the parents for placing their kids in the program, entrusting their kids with us. Because to me, that’s brave.
In her position as an Enrollment Specialist, Cindy is part of the team that vets volunteers, enrolls youth into the program, and forms matches. From applications to interviews to background checks, enrollment specialists do what it takes to assess if a volunteer is a happy, healthy, and safe individual—including fingerprinting and looking at driving records. This extensive process not only keeps children safe, but it also allows potential volunteers to conclude whether the program is the right fit or if this is the right time in their lives. Parents and youth enrolling in the program go through similar interviews to make sure the program is suited to their needs.
As the first step in the door to volunteering, Cindy finds her position unique in that she learns all the different expectations and preferences each person involved has. She finds the right fit for matches based on shared interests, so that they want to get to know each other, and geography, so that neither has to drive too far. Seeing these relationships blossom as a result of enrollment work is quite rewarding.
Getting to know kids, families, and talking to people are some of Cindy’s favorite parts of the several roles she’s held here at BBBS. But getting to be the skilled and seasoned specialist she is today did not come without a few lessons and tough calls along the way.
Do you have a story about a lesson you’ve learned on the job?
Cindy: I think the lesson for me is just always taking people at face value. Like getting to know them and making sure that you’re taking the time to listen to their story. Because everyone’s story and background are different. So instead of just assuming that I know where someone’s coming from, really trying to make sure that I listen to what they’re saying—and try to find the things that are underneath a little bit, too—to get to know them better.
What would you say is the hardest part of your role?
Cindy: The hardest part of the role is when you’re uncertain that a volunteer or a child is the right fit for the program… Maybe this program is not going to be the one that helps them the best. Because you know that people are well-intentioned or really can use an extra volunteer or an adult in their life, but that this program just may not be the right fit for them.
It’s just making sure that we find resources for the families, or let volunteers know that it doesn’t mean that they’re a bad person. It just means that this isn’t the right time for them to get involved because of other things going on in their life.
In her experience, the best way to deal with these tough decisions is to keep in mind the success of the children. The main goal is to place people in their lives who will be able to be there for them or suggest the program that will best aid the child.
There is a lot of effort put into making sure these matches are primed to last. Over the last 30 years, a lot has changed in this line of work. When Cindy first started, everything was paper and pencil, and in person or over phone calls. She remembers when they first got computers, then when a national database was implemented. Now, AI and texting and emailing are all part of daily work life.
The world has changed a lot over the last 30 years, and it will continue to do so in the next 30 years. But one thing won’t change: the human need for connection and support.
What would you say to inspire people to get involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters?
Cindy: When you invest in someone else, there’s always a return for you. Relationships are important, and especially now, with all of the IT and technology, I think sometimes we lose that communication.
So, I think Big Brothers Big Sisters is a great way to help with that… Working with kids to give that back to adults as well as the kids in the program, that connection.
Thank you, Cindy, for sharing 30 years of commitment, passion, and loyalty with our agency!
