Grue elected to board of nonprofit

Thousand Oaks resident Alynne Grue was recently elected to the Jewish Big Brothers/Big Sisters Association of Los Angeles board of trustees. The group is an affiliate of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and one of only six agencies of its kind in the United States.

Grue has served in numerous volunteer capacities with organizations such as Girl Scouts of America, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Utah and The Fulfillment Fund. She is founder and president of Transforming Solutions, a Westlake Village management consulting firm and a Brigham Young University graduate with degrees in social work, psychology and early childhood education.

The group’s mission is to assist children, primarily from single parent homes, in achieving their full potential. It meets this goal by offering various child-centered services to the community, including its mentoring programs such as Sports Buddies, a seasonal group mentoring program, and Camp Max Straus, a summer camp for underprivileged children. Both are non-denominational and interracial.

Although its flagship Big Brothers program has been in operation since the agency’s founding in 1915, the Jewish Big Sisters program only began in November 2002.

Grue said, "I am particularly excited to be a member of the board of trustees at this time. The implementation of the Big Sister program is very close to my heart."

The organization was founded nearly 90 years ago. It has continuously provided consistent adult friendship for boys and girls ages six through eighteen in a culturally Jewish context, while expanding its services to include programs for the disabled and immigrant communities and to the community at large, regardless of race or religion.

Camp Max Straus is a full service facility that provides a therapeutic, recreational summer camp experiences for children ages 7 through 12 who primarily come from single- or substitute-parent homes. All camp programs are open to children of all races and religions regardless of ability to pay.

For more information on becoming a volunteer Big Brother or Big Sister, a Sports Buddies mentor or to make a donation or in-kind contribution to Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters/Camp Max Straus, please call (323) 761-8675, extension 31, or send an email to mfox@jbbbsla.org.