Story

From a difficult childhood to a blossoming adulthood, Jen reflects on the the positive impact that the Big Sisters mentoring program had on her life, particularly through her match with Sandy who became a close and trusted confidant. Jen’s journey has not been an easy one. With personal struggles and difficulties with her birth mother, Jen grew up in foster care. From the tender age of three, Jen and her brothers were raised by her Papa Bob and late grandmother, Barbara. Despite the challenges of being raised as the only girl in a family, Jen persevered with the love and support of her grandparents. At the age of 10, Jen experienced the loss of her beloved grandmother. Growing up in […]

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Sharon, a shy student whose greatest struggle in school was English and maintaining strong grades, needed a solution to her academic struggles. With the help of her mother, they found an even greater resolution, not only helping with school but with overall self confidence.   In 2008, Sharon was introduced to the Big Sisters’ Study Buddy program. Sharon and her mother did not know much about the program, but with encouragement and high recommendations from friends, decided to give it a try. Sharon was paired with a volunteer mentor named Meera Bawa. For two years, Sharon and Meera met every Wednesday night, at the library, cultivating in an ongoing trusting and encouraging relationship. Not only did Sharon’s grades improved, she also […]

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Mentee Robyn and Mentor Rebecca uncovered the meaning of mentorship and, in turn, created an unbreakable bond and relationship that will last for years to come. A few years ago, when people would ask Robyn if she had siblings, she would say she had one brother. Today, when we ask Robyn about her siblings, she proudly mentions her Big Sister as well. From fun activities like arts and crafts, baking, and cooking, Robyn and her mentor grew up together and now bond over coffee dates, long conversations, and drives around town. We all know that being a teenager is tough. In high school, Mentor Rebecca used to struggle with bullying and fitting in with her peers. She recalls a time […]

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Little Sister Sruthy met her mentor in the Study Buddy Program. She credits this program as a tool that helped support her educational goals.

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Bonded by the power of mentorship, Radhika, former Little Sister of 10 years, gives back to the community that raised and empowered her as she joins the next generation of Big Sisters. Growing up, Radhika watched her hardworking mother try her best to raise a good daughter. As a single parent and primary caretaker to her grandfather, her mother felt the overwhelming stress and could see her daughter needing more support in her life. Although Radhika had many extended relatives, being an only child with a busy mother, Radhika felt alone. Knowing it would be best for Radhika to grow up with a female role model to who she could relate, her mother decided to seek support. Luckily, her mom […]

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A Little’s future driven by her Big Sister’s Some kids have to grow up faster than others. Theresa was one of them. Her childhood was spent in and out of foster care, Theresa acted as the parent figure for her own little sister. Eventually, a family friend, she and her sister consider their ‘grandmother’, took them in her home. While she was able to provide Theresa and her sister with food and shelter, Theresa’s grandmother knew minimal English and could not talk to Theresa about everything that was going on in her life. Theresa’s social worker observed how Theresa was looking after her younger sister, trying to stay afloat in her own life, and lacking a stable source of adult […]

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Volunteer Mentor Ashley and her Mentee Mariah were matched in 2011. What began as just a mentor and mentee relationship has now blossomed into a decade-long friendship. Ashley grew up in a single-parent household with her mom and brother. In her teenage years, the family moved around a lot. Oftentimes, she found herself wishing she had a constant figure of support to understand and talk to. The shifts in her life made her wish that she had a big sister growing up. Although a long-term admirer of the organization, Ashley wanted to wait until she felt stability in her life before committing to the program. At age 30, Ashley felt she was ready and officially started her application process to […]

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Little Sister, Shivani, got more from her Study Buddy than help with her homework. She got the inspiration to be herself. Being a Study Buddy was my first experience of how fulfilling it can be to show up for someone else. It’s incredibly selfish being of service. It gives you a break from the problems in your own head, and when you do come back to them – as we inevitably do – they all appear smaller. – Study Buddy, Heather On the day Shivani graduated from high school, her entire family was there – her parents, sister, grandparents, aunts and uncles, and even cousins. But one other person was there, too, whose presence meant a whole lot to Shivani […]

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“She helped me realize and understand that people will accept me unapologetically, that I am strong and have valuable opinions. Where before I didn’t have a voice, Blair showed me the confidence I had to be who I am.” Among other personal hardships, Emma was struggling with her schoolwork at the start of high school. At 14, Emma decided to take matters into her own hands and request some form of support from her counsellor, who then referred her to the Study Buddy program. Soon, she was matched with her Big Sister, Blair. Emma was at first nervous to meet with Blair, and both were unsure of how the match would go. Blair worried about whether she would be able […]

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Little Sister Marley was matched with her Big Sister Glenda at age 12. She now works for Big Sisters and is the first point of contact for many of the families seeking our programs. Marley is an inspiration to us all at Big Sisters BCLM and credits her Big Sister for the confidence she now exudes. Here’s a letter she wrote about her experience: A Letter from Former Little Sister Marley Being 12 is not easy. Being 12 and a girl is really not easy. You’re going from childhood into adolescence, it’s a time when everything changes —your body, your frame of mind, your environment, everything. You feel like no one’s on your side, it’s you against the world, and […]

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