When you think of Big Brothers Big Sisters, you think of a Big and a Little.  You picture the little moments that can have such a profound impact on a young persons’ life.  It might be a Big listening intently and providing some perspective, over a slice of pizza.  It might be a Little sharing their hopes and dreams for the future, while swinging together at the park.  Or it might be the shared experience of creating art together, like Dominique and Aydnn, pictured above.  This might have just been the respite that both needed at the end of a trying week. And these simple moments together build relationships, trust, comfort, and care that we all need to feel seen, heard and valued as human beings.

But our work has always been bigger than the simple moments that create shared experiences and bonds that last a lifetime.  Its’ impact has always seeped beyond the two individuals that we put together in a ‘match’.  At BBBS, we call this our ‘plus’ – the things we support and facilitate outside of the mentoring relationship.  And there are many.

Last month alone, we facilitated so many amazing opportunities and experiences for our young people, their families, and our community.

• We hosted an Arts & Culture Night at the Dive, which was a celebration of art by and for Littles in our program.  It included a gallery of our Littles’ artwork, multiple art stations run by our Youth Ambassadors and food & music, of course!
• We gave away 100 tickets to BBBS Bigs, Littles, and families for the Lions/Steelers pre-season game thanks to the Detroit Lions Foundation.
• Our Littles received a behind the scenes tour of the Bonstelle Theatre in Detroit – learning about building restoration work with our partner Sachse Construction.
• We facilitated a Target sponsored back to school shopping spree for 100 of our Littles.
• We also brought science to life with a mousetrap car derby.  With the help of our partners at Henkel Manufacturing, Littles built and raced miniature cars, making physics a hands-on experience.

The work of our staff to create and facilitate these activities gives not only Bigs and Littles space to connect and learn from one another, but families an unforgettable day at Ford Field, parents a little less worry about their back-to-school needs, and meaningful experiences for our corporate partners to pour their knowledge and resources into young minds.

And during this Big Brothers Big Sisters Month 2024 of celebrating impact, I want to recognize the impact that our dedicated team puts into making and supporting our matches, our families, our events and activities.  Without them, none of these things would be possible.  The planning and detail that goes into making matches, supporting family resources, and creating community connections for these partnerships to come to life takes time and care and they work so hard to ensure that it all looks fun and easy!

Happy Big Brothers Big Sisters Month!

Jen