Story

“When you bring girls together at such a crucial age, you create a strong bond and develop unique connections that create friendships.”Kate, our Go Girls! program coordinator, had the chance to witness youth come together during her time as a Go Girls! mentor. Kate became a volunteer mentor while in university. Having struggled herself as a young teen, she valued the opportunity to offer guidance to girls in need. “It’s such a tough age, and connections are really important,” she remembers. Through Go Girls! Kate was able to witness firsthand the positive impact that the program was having on its participants. “When the girls were brought together, they didn’t know each other. They really got to know each other through the […]

“I did better and better in school, and with that I was able to make new friends”Wendylyn, today 15, arrived in Canada from the Philippines with her family in 2014. Her parents made the hard decision to prioritize the future of their children over their own successes. “They decided to move us all to Canada for the opportunities here”. Wendylyn first walked in her new classroom very shyly after being presented to her new classmates. With the abrupt cultural switch, she now had to get used to the aspects of her new life, she was now faced with children she knew very little about. It started being difficult to connect with others her age, “I was anxious around others, there wasn’t […]

Big Sister Sophie and Little Sister Matida could not have come from more opposite worlds. Growing up in the Kootenays, Sophie recalls having a quiet childhood with her parents and sister. Matida, on the other hand, was born in Senegal, West Africa, and moved to Quebec at the age of 5. Her family moved around quite often, living in Saskatchewan and East Vancouver. Moving around left Matida with anything but a quiet childhood. She had troubles making friends and struggled with her math and science subjects which led to Matida’s mom seeking out assistance from Big Sisters’ Study Buddy program.In high school, Sophie found a love for science and was excited about it, which she ultimately pursued in university. As […]

“I can actually be more than the typical statistic.” Mentorship allowed Little Sister Maria to realize that she has the potential to do more and dream bigger. Big Sister Renee grew up in Saskatchewan with a big family. As the youngest of 4 children, she was constantly surrounded by siblings, cousins, nieces, and nephews whom she adored. However, when she moved to Vancouver in 2007, she felt the missing piece of having that large family and wanted to experience that connection with young children again. Thus, she volunteered to be a Big Sister and was quickly matched with 9-year-old Maria in 2009. Little Sister Maria did not have the same experience as Renee growing up. Maria recalls growing up in the stereotypical […]

When the world is going through a pandemic, everyone feels disconnected. However, Donna and Cindy show us that even through isolation, when you have a Sister by your side, you will never feel alone.“Isn’t she a wonderful young woman?” These were the first words that Big Sister Donna said when she heard Little Sister Cindy’s name. Donna grew up in Belfast, Northern Ireland with her parents. When Donna was 14, her mom and dad divorced. Her mom left and her dad turned to alcohol. Her rough upbringing came at an age where she needed a good influence in her life and someone who she could rely on.At 18, she decided she had enough and jumped on the first flight she found. […]

We’re showing some love for our Big Sister alumnae! Over the next while we’ll be sharing a series of interviews that feature our alumnae and their involvement with Big Sisters. Kicking us off is our interview with a Big Sister of 7 years, Alex Gens! Read on to find out why mentoring matters to Alex, and her advice on how best to get involved.  MEET: MELISSA JANG, FORMER BIG SISTER Next up in our alumnae interview series is Melissa Jang! Read on to learn about why she became a Study Buddy, where her Little Sister is off to now, and the plan she helped her build to realize her dreams. Why were you interested in becoming a Big Sister? I […]

We’re showing some love for our Big Sister alumnae! Over the next while we’ll be sharing a series of interviews that feature our alumnae and their involvement with Big Sisters. Kicking us off is our interview with a Big Sister of 7 years, Alex Gens! Read on to find out why mentoring matters to Alex, and her advice on how best to get involved.  MEET: ALEX GENS, FORMER BIG SISTER “It’s such an honour to watch her grow into a young woman  and feel like I’ve had a small part in that development.”    Why were you interested in becoming a Big Sister?   I believe mentorship is one of the most valuable contributions to our society. Especially now, as our […]

“When you bring girls together at such a crucial age, you create a strong bond and develop unique connections that create friendships”. Kate, our Go Girls! program coordinators had the chance to witness girls come together over her career as a volunteer mentor. She became a Go Girls mentor while in university. Having struggled herself as a young teen, she found value in the opportunity of offering the guidance to girls in need: “It’s such a tough age, connections are really important”. Through Go Girls! Kate realized the positive impact of the program on her groups: “When the girls were brought together, they didn’t know each other. They really got to know each other through the activities. I think that […]

1.Why did you want to become a Big? A friend of mine was a Big Brother, and he spoke so highly of the program, I was convinced to join. 2. Tell me about your match. What do you do together? We mostly just hang out and talk. Sometimes we get groceries and cook together, sometimes we watch Netflix, sometimes we go for a hike or special event, and sometimes we go to Sephora and check out makeup. 3. What is your favourite thing about your Little? She’s funny and sweet and super cool. 4. What have been some of the biggest lessons you’ve learned about yourselves in your match? I’ve learned that what you do is more important than what […]