2. Agenda
Big Brothers & Big Sisters of Canada
Mentoring
The Raw Facts
The Good News!
Testimonials
3. Big Brothers & Big Sisters
For over 80 years, the Big Brothers Big Sisters program
has made a difference in the lives of young people by
providing a friend where one is needed
Providing support to more than 1,000 Canadian
communities
The impact made by volunteers is truly overwhelming
Children who have been in the program see real,
positive change.
4. You don’t have to be perfect to be a mentor
to a child,
just caring, fun loving and reliable......
This alone could make a profound
difference
in the child's life
5. A Big Brother Is.....
A great listener
Truly caring about people
Believing in others’ capabilities
Patient and kind
Sensitive to the needs and circumstances of others
Humourous and outgoing
Committed to relationships
Open to different points of view
Who can be a Big Brother?
You can!
6. What it means for a child (Little)
When asked what they were looking for from a “Big”,
three “Littles” responded:
“Someone who will be nice to me, care for me, helps me
out when I’m sad.....”
“Someone to spend time with.....”
“Someone nice, fun, who’ll pick me up when I’m down......”
7.
8. The Raw Facts
The demand for youth mentoring far exceeds the
number of available “Bigs”
More than 10,000 children are currently on waiting
lists and some wait as long as two years
In Clarington 13 kids are waiting for a Big Brother or
Big Sister
Some have waited more than two years
9.
10. Mentoring Works
Littles go on to graduate from high school at a rate 20% higher
than the national average*
78% of Littles who came from a social assistance background
no longer rely on this form of income*
Mentoring helps keep kids:
off drugs
out of gangs
in school so they can fulfill their dreams.
(*Project Impact, Social Planning Council of Hamilton and District, Hamilton, 1994).
11. Give a little time, get a lot in return
It only takes a few hours a month to make a huge
difference in the life of a child
And the best part,
you’ll not only see what it does for them, you’ll feel
what it does for you.
12.
13. “I was matched with
my Big Brother Jack
at a very young age,
around 7.......
Jack changed the way
I looked at life....he
set an example for
me and showed me
what a few hours a
week will do for a
child. He showed me
what a loving
relationship is all
about. ........Jack was a
very giving person.......
His life was devoted
to his family and to
volunteering...... He is
a man I look up to and
mimick in my
everyday life”
14. “.........., without my
big brother Mike I
don't know what
I'd be doing now or
where I'd be.
......My big and I go
and do tons of
things from
camping to going to
concerts.
I'm writing this to
mostly say thanks
to my big for all
he's done.
15. “I am writing to
thank you and
everyone else for
getting me a Big
Brother, Mark.......
We have lots of
fun together.
We have gone
fishing, I’ve seen
some airplanes with
him, we went to the
park and the
beach.
