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Mentoring means more than just tutoring; mentoring means being close with someone and while helping them grow. During the three years that Brenda and her Little Sister Sukhmani have been matched, they have bonded, become great friends and discovered new things about themselves all while having fun and helping each other grow. Brenda has always enjoyed tutoring so when the idea of becoming a Big Sister came to her, she jumped at the chance. “I have always enjoyed teaching and being around young people, so [this] was the right program for me”, she writes. At the same time that Brenda was searching for a Little Sister, Sukhmani needed someone to help her not only with school work, but to also […]

Mentoring has great benefits for both Big Sisters and Little Sisters. For that reason, it is important to acknowledge the organizations and individuals that make mentoring programs happen. Without the support from our generous donors, Big Sisters of BC Lower Mainland would not be what it is today. Two particularly generous individuals that we are thankful for are Cheryl Nakamoto and Sarah McNeill of McNeill Nakamoto Recruitment Group. Cheryl and Sarah have been hosting the GrapeJuice Wine Auction for 10 years. Being the founders of GrapeJuice, our annual wine auction fundraiser, and devoted to helping the community, Cheryl and Sarah deserve further recognition. For that reason, Big Sisters BCLM nominated them for the Giving Hearts Award—a program created to acknowledge […]

Hip Hop Class On March 18 and March 25, seven of our matches participated in a free hip hop dance class. Thanks to Jennifer Lee for donating the space, a hip hop instructor, and a pizza lunch. It was a very fun experience for our Bigs and Littles. Canadians Nooner On July 20 our Bigs and Littles attended the Canadians Nooner game! It was a beautiful sunny day and two of our Littles got to throw the first pitch! They were beyond excited, it was a wonderful day for the matches to get out and have fun. Thank you to Scotiabank for this generous donation.   Bike Build Boston Pizza was extremely generous and donated seven bikes to our Little Sisters […]

Matched with Big Sister Richelle at 11 years old, Susan was a very shy and soft-spoken young girl. She was afraid to speak her mind, and her confidence was at an all-time low. “I was a bigger kid, my brother would say I was fat, ugly, and not good enough and I believed that. Because if you don’t have anyone else to tell you the contrary that’s all you believe,” says Susan. Richelle came into Susan’s life at the right time. Meeting on a weekly basis really helped Susan with her confidence, as she finally had someone in her life who would fill her life with positivity. Richelle recounts her time spent with Susan, “it was nice to go and […]

Big Yoga™ for Big Sisters is this Saturday and we can hardly wait for the BIG day to arrive. And look, we aren’t the only ones excited! What makes Big Yoga for Big Sisters SO BIG? We thought you’d never ask. 1. Stellar instructors sharing their passion and expertise with these classes and workshops. 2. Inner Fire for your eco-friendly shopping fix! 3. Complimentary massages from Ananta Wellness and mini facials from Skoah. 4. The Halfmoon Chill Out Tent and the ivivva Hub for Kids. 5. Delicious and nutritious gluten-free, vegan eats for purchase from JamJar. 6. KISS radio on site playing DJ during the yoga breaks. 7. Plus, a gorgeous location at David Lam Park and the opportunity to […]

September is Big Brothers Big Sisters Month Imagine a world with more self-esteem and less bullying. Imagine a world where youth are reminded that they be anything they can dream of. You can be a part of creating that world.  When a child has a mentor, the odds they will be emotionally, socially and physically healthy increases dramatically. When we have happy, healthy young people in our communities, everyone benefits. Learn how you can make a difference in the life of a young person by visiting www.imagineBBBS.ca. Three Ways to Help Us Change Girls’ Lives Volunteer A mentor who encourages smart daily behaviours—finishing homework, having healthy social interactions, and saying no when it counts—has a noticeable influence on a young person’s growth […]

An exciting event is taking place tomorrow. We’re staging a surprise yoga session (with costumes and mascots doing yoga poses!) at David Lam Park. Passersby are invited to join in this fun event, which is intended to generate awareness and signups for Big Yoga™ for Big Sisters, our yogathon fundraiser on September 9th. Curious? Big Yoga™ for Big Sisters is your chance to use your yoga practice to transform girls’ lives. This September 9th at David Lam Park, hundreds of yogis will come together to raise much needed funds for our mentoring programs. Here’s how it works: 1) Sign up. There are three ways you can sign up to participate in Big Yoga™ for Big Sisters.   – As a corporate team […]

Here at Big Sisters when we think of yoga – we think big! BIG ideas. BIG inspiration. BIG impact. We talk a big game and we can back it up. There are so many special things about Big Yoga™ for Big Sisters. We love the idea of using your practice to transform girls’ lives. We love beautiful David Lam Park. We love our community partners joining us with activities onsite—Inner Fire, Skoah, Ananta Wellness & Osteopathy, ivivva, and JamJar. We love YOU for committing to this event with your fundraising efforts and awesome energy of the day. You know what else? We love, love, love the opportunity to share six completely different styles of yoga led by some of the city’s […]

Canadian kids and teens are digitally savvy when it comes to social media and the internet—after all, they are digital natives. Unfortunately, many kids and teens do not yet understand the scope of their privacy and the potential risks associated with having an “open” profile online. In an effort to show kids and teens how to better protect themselves online and to understand privacy concerns, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada has created this graphic novel, Social Smarts: Privacy, the Internet and You. The short 12-page novel follows a brother (Dave) and sister (Amy) who learn about the privacy risks related to social networking, phone passwords and online gaming. We are also given insight from Amy’s phone who […]