Story

1. Why did you want to become a Big? I became a Big Sister because the timing  was right.  I had heard about being a Big Sister because a single mom I worked with told me her son was involved  in this mentor program and what change it had made in his and her lives.  That same weekend,  I walked into the mall to purchase something and I left with a Big Sister brochure.  It happened  to be, that that weekend, the mall I ran into was having  a volunteer fair. I knew this was a sign.  I was to give back to a young girl what so many people gave to me growing  up.  Love, support, and an excitement […]

1. Why did you want to become a Big? I love being with my nieces, seeing them grow has been my life’s greatest joy.  They live in different provinces and I was missing having children and youth in my life.  I also wanted to give back to my community, particularly to women and girls, and the Big Sisters program seemed like the perfect volunteer opportunity for me. 2. Tell me about your match. What do you do together?  Our match is quite new, but we’ve already done so much together and have celebrated some pretty significant milestones.  We enjoy going to the library, choosing recipes, and then cooking them together.  We sometimes go for bubble tea and play games at the […]

1. Why did you want to become a Big?  Growing up I had a very close relationship with my older cousin. She was like a big sister to me and was a very positive influence in my life. I also work as a pediatric nurse and enjoy spending time with kids. Both of these things lead me to Big Sisters. I first volunteered with Go Girls! but then wanted a more long term connection so decided to become a Big.  2. Tell me about your match. What do you do together? My Little Sister and I have been a great match, we have many common interests and enjoy being outside, baking, swimming, and sewing together.  3. What is your favourite […]

Today, we’re sharing an interview with Big Sister Edwina. She’s been matched with her Little Sister for three and a half years. Here’s how it’s made a difference in her and her Little’s lives. 1. Why did you want to become a Big? I was looking to volunteer and I’d heard that there are many young girls signed up with the Big Sisters program who are waiting for a match. The thought of any young girl having to wait for someone to show they cared was hard. My volunteering meant one less girl would be waiting. 2. Tell me about your match. What do you do together? We bake a lot. It is wonderful to watch my Little Sister learn […]

At Big Sisters, we believe that mentoring matters. Hearing from our matches that they believe in this impact too demonstrates that it’s not just a slogan, it’s true. Here’s why Big Sister Randi—who has been matched with her Little for six years—believes in the power of mentorship. 1. Why did you want to become a Big? I knew I wanted to get involved in a volunteer program, but ultimately chose Big Sisters because of the direct impact you have on a girl’s life. You will change her life forever, just by being there for her and having fun together. It’s not about money that you donate or fundraisers, but the direct impact and influence to change one girl’s life. What […]

In 2017, our team took part in the United Way of the Lower Mainland Project Impact course where we tested new evaluation methods to better capture why and how matching a female mentor with an at-risk girl leads to extraordinary outcomes. As we hoped, this new evaluation method brought us richer and more valuable data than past tools. Here’s a snapshot of what we learned. Tools of Change Big Sisters mentoring imparts four powerful tools of change to Little Sisters: consistency, building confidence, positive role modeling, and trust. With these tools, Little Sisters are set on a path to achieve more. Relationship Ripple Effect By forming and maintaining a healthy relationship with her Big Sister, she improves her interpersonal skills, […]

At Big Sisters, we believe that mentoring matters because it works. Here are a few statistics that show just how powerful mentoring can be.  The Challenge:more than a quarter of Lower Mainland grade four children have low well-being. The Solution: Mentoring Brain science tells us that it only takes one caring adult to help a child build the brain architecture for life-long resilience 92% of adults who had a mentor feel confident and 96% say they’re happy 93% of Little Sisters feel better about themselves since having a Big Sister The Challenge:Youth who do not graduate from high school are at a serious disadvantage. The Solution: Mentoring Students who meet regularly with their mentors are 52% less likely than their […]

Bullying is rampant in our schools. A 2013 study by Ipsos Reid shows that 59% of Canadians said they suffered abuse by bullies as a child or teenager and 45% believed they suffered lasting harm as a result. That’s half of Canada’s entire population affected by bullying. But, Big Sisters can play a pivotal role in turning that around. Girls with a Big Sister are four times less likely to bully than girls without a mentor. Plus, 92% of adults who had a mentor as a child feel confident and 96% say they’re happy. Here’s the story of one of our Little Sisters who struggled with bullying before being matched with her Big Sister. “When you’re little… you don’t have the […]

“I’ve always wanted a big sister, a real one, ‘cause I’m an only child,” says Little Sister Olivia. “Most of my friends have older sisters, and it looks really fun.” But when Olivia was nine, she was diagnosed with anxiety and it was bad enough that she spent an entire summer indoors with her mom. “I could barely leave the house without feeling scared,” says Olivia, now 11. Her mom signed her up with Big Sisters and Olivia was matched with Ally, a 21-year-old kinesiology student. When the two first met a year ago, they were both nervous, but setting a goal for their relationship helped to get them on track. The goal they decided on was for Olivia to […]

“We’re really not big planners,” laughs Samantha. “Whenever we get together we love to just go with the flow and see where the day takes us.” “It’s true,” continues Cassandra. “Sometimes we’ll plan on doing a specific activity, but most of the time we end up doing something completely different.  “One of our favourite things to do together is play “tourist” in our own city,” says Samantha. We like to visit local attractions, taking the Big Bus tour downtown, and visiting the aquarium. I think we’re looking at the zoo next.” “And we should definitely go ice skating again!” chimes in Cassandra. “Can you tell that we’re spontaneous?” laughs Samantha. Both Big and Little Sister continue laughing as they recall […]