First lady Teresa Parson invited young children into the Missouri Governor's Mansion to learn some life skills Tuesday afternoon.
The "Hello Fall" event gave about two dozen children involved in Big Brothers Big Sisters of Jefferson City (BBBS) opportunities to learn to pipe icing onto cookies, write thank-you notes and sew buttons onto cloth.
The event reflected Parson's mission of deep support for programs upholding and advancing children, she said.
"All of my missions deal with children in general," she said. "This is one of the groups we have locally here that we can bring in. I just enjoy watching the children myself."
Parson has hosted BBBS pairs several times during the past two years.
BBBS organizes matches between adult mentors (bigs) and children (littles) ages 6-17. Matches are intended to last until the child graduates or turns 17. The BBBS mission is to make a positive difference in the lives of children and youths through a professionally supported, primarily one-to-one relationship with a caring and committed volunteer.
In community-based matches, bigs and littles develop relationships during one-on-one outings and activities -- doing things like walking through a park, going to cultural events, listening to music, hanging out and talking, going to movies and fishing.
In school-based matches, bigs go to littles' schools for one hour each week to spend time helping with homework, playing games and sports, reading or talking.
Tuesday's event was smaller than some that have gone before, Parson said, because of some repairs under way at the mansion.
"It's about the perfect time to do it in the mansion," she said. "We can do it in smaller groups like this. We have three stations -- which is about all we can handle right now."
The lessons are life skills that everybody needs from time to time, she said.
Ava Cunningham, 11, has been paired with her big -- Common Ground Community Building Executive Director Tina Mollenkamp -- since January. But they've been "Reading Buddies" for about four years. Reading Buddies is a summer program intended to help young children read more proficiently.
"We go places together," Ava said. "We went to Unique Creations yesterday. It's really fun."
She said the two put together a photo album a couple of weeks ago.
Adison Kerksiek, 13, concentrated on piping icing onto cookies. He and his big, Ben Kweskin, have been paired since March.
"(BBBS) is really helpful," Kerksiek said. "I know that Ben is someone that I can really talk to. I never really thought about doing things like this, but it's pretty good."
He said the event helped him get off his phone.
Ava said she'd never been in the Missouri Governor's Mansion, but thought it was really pretty.
"That's another thing -- how many young people have been in the People's House?" Parson said. "Probably very few from my hometown. Even very few from Jefferson City.
"Last night we had the Lincoln University football team on the grounds. Many of the players came in and said they'd never been in the Governor's Mansion."
Eileen Wisniowicz/News Tribune photo: Robin Grumm and Corinn Dotson, 11, watch Linda Cumpton demonstrate how to sew on Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022 at the Govenor's Mansion in Jefferson City. Grumm and Dotson are part of the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Jefferson City. The Big and Little attended the life skills event at the Mansion.
Eileen Wisniowicz/News Tribune photo: Sean Jones, 12, watches Linda Cumpton sew on Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022 at the Govenor's Mansion in Jefferson City. Cumpton taught the button sewing station at the Big Brothers Big Sisters life skills event. Cumpton had the children sew buttons onto cloth pumpkin cutouts.
Eileen Wisniowicz/News Tribune photo: Liam Jones, 16, and Sean Jones, 12, listen to Patty Morrow on Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022 at the Governor's Mansion in Jefferson City. Morrow is a Mansion Docent and spent the evening teaching children from the Big Sisters Big Brothers how to write a thank-you letter. The activity was one of three life skills at the event.
Eileen Wisniowicz/News Tribune photo: Aiden Hite, 11, and Della Smith, 11, write thank-you cards on Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022 at the Governor's Mansion in Jefferson City. Hite and Smith attended a Big Brothers Big Sisters life skills event where they were taught how to properly write thank-you cards. The children could choose to write a thank-you note to someone of their choosing.
Eileen Wisniowicz/News Tribune photo: Robin Grumm, right, helps Corinn Dotson, 11, frost a cookie on Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022 at the Governor's Mansion in Jefferson City. Grumm and Dotson are a part of the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization and attended a life skills event hosted at the mansion. One of the activities was learning how to decorate cookies.