News

We can’t do the important work we do without our amazing volunteers. That’s why, every year, we choose three Big Heart Award winners. At this year’s annual Spring Lunch fundraiser, two winners took home the Big Heart Awards. These awards recognize volunteers and businesses or foundations that make outstanding contributions of time, energy and financial support to Big Sisters of BC Lower Mainland. The 2017 recipients were Carmen S. Thériault for Outstanding Contribution by a Volunteer and Amir and Yasmin Virani Family Foundation for Outstanding Contribution by a Business or Foundation. Carmen Thériault is a senior partner at Norton Rose Fulbright. She has been actively involved in the community for a number of years. Her many activities involve being a […]

Did you know that about 1 in 7 young people in BC—or 14%—will experience a mental illness at some point? Many mental illnesses—between 50% and about 70%—show up before the age of 18, so they can have a huge impact on a child’s development. Mental illnesses can affect how well kids do in school and how they form relationships with other kids and adults. Caring adults provide young people with a sense of belonging, acceptance, empowerment and connection- factors that are known to foster mental health and emotional well-being. While there are many ways to go about treatment for mental illness, one thing remains: everyone needs support which can include family, friends, counselors or mentors. Our research has found that […]

Located on Vancouver’s waterfront with a gorgeous mountain backdrop, the Level II Ocean Foyer will host the 2017 Big Sisters of BC Lower Mainland Spring Lunch this March. With maximized natural light and local BC wood productsfrom sustainably-managed forests used throughout the facility, this is set to be a beautiful event made for a great cause. To join us in celebration of mentorship, Dr. Shimi Kang will be our keynote speaker. Shimi believes in the powerful role and impact of mentorship on the lives of young girls. In fact, she “prescribes” Big Sisters. As Benjamin Franklin said, “Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.” A good mentor breaks you out of […]

In a world where 50% of girls wish they were someone else, mentoring matters. That’s where Big Sisters of BC Lower Mainland comes in. Research shows that mentoring has a powerful impact on the lives of young girls. We know that 96 percent of adults who had a mentor as a child say they are happy and 92 percent feel confident. On March 8th we’re celebrating International Women’s Day by sharing what makes us feel strong and bold. You can join in too. Share your own personal story or use one of the social media post templates below! Download our social media graphics too. Let’s change these statistics. Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn It’s #InternationalWomensDay on March 8. Can you #BeBoldForChange? […]

It can be rough out there. Big Sisters provides supportive mentoring relationships to young girls who may be facing challenges like bullying, isolation, poverty, abuse, social anxiety, low self-esteem and more. Research shows that mentoring has a powerful impact on the lives of young girls. We know that 96 percent of adults who had a mentor as a child say they are happy and 92 percent feel confident. Plus, girls who have a positive mentor are less likely to engage in destructive behaviour such as bullying, fighting, binge drinking or drug use. Since 1960, Big Sisters of BC Lower Mainland has been changing the course of young girls’ lives. Our experienced caseworkers carefully match Little Sisters with female adult mentors […]

We have a great community of influential digital media women who support Big Sisters BCLM. From lifestyle to book writing, these women continue to inspire us with their work. To spotlight some of the great bloggers we have connected with, here is a bit of information about them. Miss 604 Rebecca Bollwitt, more commonly known as Miss 604 , is an award-winning blogger who has also been our wonderful volunteer recruitment and blog sponsor for three years. Rebecca champions many community initiatives and campaigns, including Big Sisters BC Lower Mainland. With her wide-reaching audience and informed postings, Rebecca is an inspiration to us all. Find Miss604 on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Becca Clarkson Another great blogger with whom we’ve had […]