News

When you join the Big Sisters Legacy Circle and leave a gift in your Will, you ensure the continuation of our life-changing mentorship programs. It is an opportunity to give young, vulnerable girls a hand up and help them reach their fullest potential. We chatted with one of our legacy givers, Carmen Thériault, about why she left a gift in her Will for Big Sisters. Carmen is a former Big Sister, an active member of our Honourary Advisory Board, last year’s Big Heart Award winner, and has been a long-time supporter of our organization. In 2015, she took on the task of building our Planned Giving Advisory Council, and has provided outstanding leadership in creating a culture of Planned Giving at Big Sisters. Here’s what […]

Tomorrow is International Women’s Day and now, more than ever, it’s time to #PressForProgress of gender parity. It’s a tough world for girls. Did you know that 50 percent of girls wish they were someone else, not to mention that girls’ self-esteem peaks at age nine.  Mentoring is a powerful way to help change these statistics. We know that 93 percent of girls in our program feel better about themselves since having a Big Sister. And, that impact lasts a lifetime. Research shows that 96 percent of adults who had a mentor as a child say they are happy and 92 percent feel confident. Set young girls up for a strong sense of self and on the path to reach […]

Today is Pink Shirt Day. Over the month of February, and throughout the year, CKNW Children’s Charities’ Pink Shirt Day aims to raise awareness of these issues, as well as raise funds to support programs that foster children’s healthy self-esteem. Since 2008, net proceeds of over $1.8 million have been distributed to support youth anti-bullying programs in British Columbia and throughout Western Canada. In 2017 alone, Pink Shirt Day was able to support programs that impacted more than 59,300 youth and children. As past beneficiaries, we are so grateful for the movement Pink Shirt Day has started. “I had no one to play with because sometimes my friends don’t let me play with them. Now that I have a Big Sister, I don’t feel sad […]

The experience of being bullied can feel isolating, scary, and cause serious harm. You are not alone. At least 1 in 3 Canadian students have reported being bullied (cite). That could include 10 students in a single classroom. In this post, you will find 10 tips to use if you or someone you know are being bullied. Choose which ones work best for you. Start with yourself 1. Understand that it is not your fault You deserve to be treated with kindness and respect. It is never okay for someone to bully you. 2. Practice self-care Do something to take care of yourself, especially if you are feeling down. Write in a journal, read a book you love, chat with […]

Being 12 is not easy. Being 12 and a girl is really not easy. Going from childhood into adolescence is a time when everything changes—your body, your peer group, your priorities, everything. Rajni Kumar, an elementary school Child & Youth Care Worker, knows all too well the struggles young girls face in her school’s hallways. “The biggest challenges girls face in our school are being afraid to speak up, changing who they are to fit into a norm, and not being able to empower one another,” she said. “The girls try to fit in to popular cliques by not being true to themselves and at times find it easier to put another girl down than build her up.” At Big […]

We wanted to share this moving testimonial we received from a mother of one of our Little Sisters. Rita, mother of Little Sister Natalie, shared why she is grateful for Big Sister Heather. Here’s what she said: “I first wanted a Big Sister for my daughter Natalie when I saw her having a hard time after her dad and I split up. She was 13-years-old, where puberty and high school were prominent issues, and she was dealing with anxiety and depression. Our immediate family consisted of my mother, and that was it. Everyone else lived far away. I wanted my daughter to have someone else other than me in her life who could be a positive influence. I wanted her […]

Happy 2018! We’re so excited for the year ahead. Help us keep up the momentum by signing up to be a Big Sister. We know you’d make an excellent mentor and we can’t wait to match you with your Little Sister. Apply Here

                    We are less than a week away from #GivingTuesday, a day after CyberMonday and Black Friday where we open our hearts and rally together to help our favourite causes. Originally started in 2012, #GivingTuesday is also meant to act as the “beginning of the giving season”—a way to kick of the time of year where the holiday giving spirit is in full force!  We here at Big Sisters of the BC Lower Mainland wanted to celebrate this upcoming Giving Tuesday by giving you an idea of just how much behind the scenes work goes on here to create the perfect Big & Little match. So we created this video! In […]

First things first – THANK YOU. We had the most incredible time celebrating Mentorship and all the amazing people contributing to bettering the lives of our Littles, Bigs, and our communities all over the Lower Mainland. Here’s a little recap of how the night went:  The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver was alight with our big-hearted community. Guests had the opportunity to network with over 470 guests, including individuals from: the Peter & Joanne Brown Foundation, Windsor Plywood Foundation, Wheaton Precious Metals Corp., HNW Services, John and Dana Montalbano’s First Light Foundation, and so many more!                                         A champagne reception, generously sponsored by Norton […]