Building trust and local partners takes time and Big Brothers Big Sisters has been serving and reaching diverse communities for over 100 years. In Canada, there are only a few charities that reach across Canada like we do. We have over 95 individual locations that are situated in unique and distinct local communities.
Big Brothers Big Sisters has locations in urban, rural, remote and Indigenous communities across Canada. Our local sites provide no-cost services that meet the needs of their local area. No two communities are alike and each has a unique set of challenges and strengths. Incredibly, Big Brothers Big Sisters mentoring is a global movement that has impact across generations and across diverse populations.
Every day local Big Brothers Big Sisters sites navigate the vast and diverse landscape of Canada, overcoming logistical barriers to reach the young people who need us the most. There are Big Brothers Big Sisters sites that routinely use ice roads to reach remote Northern communities. There are Big Brothers Big Sisters sites that service hundreds of kilometers of Central prairie lands. There are Big Brothers Big Sisters sites that are nested in urban downtown centers, responding to inner city violence and poverty. There are Big Brothers Big Sisters sites that are welcomed by Indigenous reserves and working closely with local band and tribe leaders. There are Big Brothers Big Sisters sites that routinely travel through rural, secluded communities to reach isolated young people and families. Big Brothers Big Sisters will continue to navigate the vast landscape of Canada so that we offer our life-changing mentoring programs to young people who can benefit.
As one of Canada’s oldest youth-serving organizations, Big Brothers Big Sisters has supported families through many significant Canadian tragedies. Our sites responded to the fires in Fort McMurray. Our sites reached out to families when snow caused a state of emergency in the East. Our sites were there for families when forest fires destroyed homes in the West. Across Canada, Big Brothers Big Sisters sites supported matches and families despite the global pandemic, promoting digital nearness while keeping physically safe and distant. We walk beside a local community when the community succeeds and when they grieve.
Big Brothers Big Sisters is incredibly proud to be apart of so many diverse communities across Canada. We are grateful that communities trust us, welcome us and share our belief in the power of mentoring and the infinite potential of Canadian youth.
