Celebrating 65 years, a New Campaign Launch and the Power of Mentorship

This month has seen Big Sisters of BC Lower Mainland mark a significant milestone. After 65 years of empowering girls and youth in our communities, we unveiled bold plans for future program expansion and long-term sustainable growth through Big Sisters Unleashing Potential campaign. This groundbreaking project will see us create British Columbia’s first and only Mentorship HUB—a dedicated space for connection, learning, and support.

Over the last month we have covered so much ground and raised almost $3m towards our campaign goal of $5m that will help us support 1,000 girls and gender-diverse youth by 2029.

[Support Big Sisters Unleashing Potential Campaign]

We have so much exciting news to share! Here are just some of the highlights from the last couple of weeks.

 

Taking the First Step Towards a Brighter Future: Big Sisters Unleashing Potential Launch Event

On June 17, we unveiled our Unleashing Potential campaign to the world by welcoming community leaders, supporters and members of Big Sisters wider network to our Vancouver office for our official launch event. With interactive guided tours, videos, impassioned speeches and touching stories from Littles and parents it was the perfect way for us to share our exciting plans for the future.  

Watch our Unleashing Potential launch video:

Attendees heard from Unleashing Potential campaign Co-Chair and Editor-in-chief at Business in Vancouver Hayley Woodin-Hastings who unveiled our Power of Mentorship feature and storytelling series which profiled some of Vancouvers most prominent mentorship pairs. Find out more about this campaign and the mentorship pairs featured here: https://www.bigsisters.bc.ca/power-of-mentorship/

We then heard from Big Sisters CEO Chantelle Krish as she shared our plans for the Mentorship HUB and campaign goals. Download our campaign brochure for more information: Download 

Following this, we had a heartfelt speech from Big Sisters Honorary Advisory Board member and Lazy Gourmet Founder Susan Mendelson who spoke about the vital need for Big Sisters’ Mentorship HUB.

 

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“For decades, Big Sisters has been quietly changing lives—pairing young people with caring mentors, to provide stability, confidence, and hope when it’s needed most.

All of this has been achieved in libraries, cafes, parks and other third spaces, many of which are not ideal, suitable or convenient for our youth and mentors. 

Think of what could be achieved if these Bigs and Littles had safe, nurturing and purpose-built facilities to come together in.”

— Susan Mendelson

Susan

Finally, we heard directly from our community as parent Jennifer and her daughter Aria, who is part of Big Sisters’ Study Buddy program, shared their story. Watch our video for more details of Aria’s incredible journey.

Attendees then embarked on a Mentorship HUB tour, following our map to explore key areas for development from dedicated guides from Big Sisters team.

 

A Glimpse Inside Our Future Mentorship HUB

 

[Unleashing Potential] Renderings (1500 x 1257 px) (6)
[Unleashing Potential] Renderings (1500 x 1257 px) (1)
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Spreading the Word: Media Coverage

Our campaign launch has also made waves in the media, amplifying the need for support as we enter this critical phase and shining a light on the incredible stories behind our programs.

  • CBC Radio Interview: Chantelle Krish and Big Sister Radhika, who was once a mentee in our program, shared key insights into the importance of mentorship in The Early Edition.
    [Listen back]
  • Global News Interview: Chantelle also joined Global News Morning to speak about the Unleashing Potential campaign’s vision and the growing demand for services.
    [Watch now]

 

Get Involved: Help Us Unleash Potential

This is just the beginning. As we look ahead to building our Mentorship HUB and expanding our reach, we invite you to be part of this journey.

  • Donate: Your support directly supports mentorship matches, new program development, and the creation of Big Sisters Mentorship HUB. Make a Donation 
  • Share: Help spread the word by sharing our videos, stories, and campaigns with your networks.
  • Connect: Interested in learning more? Speak to our team about how you or your organization can get involved. Contact Alex Wilson, Senior Director, Philanthropy and Campaigns

Together, we can create a future where every self-identifying girl, non-binary, transgender, and gender-diverse youth has access to the support they need to thrive.