It’s Never Too Late to Support Children who Face Adversities
Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) network in Canada is asking Canadians to learn about mentoring as a social service and critical wellness intervention. September is Big Brothers Big Sisters month and we want the public to know that they can take action to ensure that children and youth have access to supportive relationships that will help them resolve childhood trauma and adversity.
Mentoring is the antidote.
Based on a sample of 1608 records of the total Big Brothers Big Sisters children served in 2021, some of the most common needs that children and families face:
Youth mentoring matters and is an essential service that can dramatically improve the life of vulnerable children. With Big Brothers Big Sisters mentoring programs, children receive the personalized support they need to move beyond their circumstance.
By pairing a child or youth with a volunteer caring adult in a trusting relationship, at least two people will experience the benefits of mentoring: the mentor and the child mentee. The first step is to have a caring adult step forward and say, “I am willing to try to help.”
For Karine Pomilia Gauthier, the long-term consistency of an 8-year supportive relationship with her Big Sister, helped shape her to become the strong, confident woman she is today. Karine credits Big Brothers Big Sisters with playing an immense role in her life professionally, academically, and personally. Karine is a founding member of the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada National Youth Mentoring Advisory Council, a consortium of youth who provide leadership and representation on youth issues. Her advocacy and passion for mentoring led her to join the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada Board in 2020.
“Each experience gave me a new lens through which to view the value of this network. The Big Brothers Big Sisters community — volunteers, agencies and partners — fosters individual relationships that we all benefit from,” she adds.
With the support of staff at more than 95 agencies, each year Big Brothers Big Sisters arms thousands of volunteers to enroll as mentors. The Big Brothers Big Sisters network invests millions of dollars to train and prepare adult volunteers who commit to walking alongside young Canadians as they grow emotionally, intellectually and socially.
“In just a couple hours a week, over time, connections will form that will benefit a child today and that will last their lifetime,” says W. Matthew Chater, President and CEO, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada. “These mentoring relationships ignite potential in children and provide the antidote to adversities experienced by too many children and families in need.“
Parents and guardians can enroll children aged 6 to 16 in one-to-one and group mentoring programs. Connect today at bigbrothersbigsisters.ca to enroll or explore volunteer opportunities near you.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada enables life-changing mentorship relationships to ignite the power and potential of young people. Comprised of 95+ member agencies serving more than 1,100 communities across Canada, each year we help over 41,000 young people access the transformative benefits of mentoring relationships with caring, trained volunteers. Our national organization provides services and programs to our membership agencies to assist them in their work with parents, caregivers, school communities, mentees and volunteers. The National Office is a registered Canadian charity and is accredited through the Imagine Canada Strong Charities Standards Program.
For more information and to book an interview, contact:
Marina Joseph
Marina.Joseph@bigbrothersbigsisters.ca;
1(800) 263-9133, ext. 24
Mobile: +1(416) 312-8692
https://bigbrothersbigsisters.ca/
