Hi All, 

As many of you already know, I’m a proud older sister to 4 amazing fabulous young adults! The title of “Big Sister” has always been a part of my makeup, which is why when the opportunity to volunteer and mentor a young girl through Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) arose, I eagerly got involved!  During the past 9 months I have had the honor of getting to know & become a Big Sister to a 13 year old, Taliyah.  Being a volunteer for this organization has been challenging at times but much more rewarding than I could’ve imagined. 

Before even being officially “matched” through BBBS organization, I was taken aback from how grossly underfunded this non-profit is.  There’s literally hundreds of children waiting to be matched with a “Big”, some that continue to wait due to lack of resources such as actual funding to complete the matching process.  Backgrounds checks are thorough and extensive on all volunteers to continue to ensure the safety of our children and integrity of this organization.  The cost to match & sustain this match for 1 year is $1200 alone, which is why I’ve set my fundraising goal at exactly that! 

I hope you’ll consider donating to this amazing organization with all funds going directly to the cause. Regardless of the amount contributed, it means A LOT to me personally and every bit helps.  If this is your first time hearing about this organzation I encourage you to do a little research or perhaps become a volunteer yourself, feel free to ask me any questions about my experience too! 

#Grateful 

Grow Something Big is all about celebrating the life-changing impact of mentoring and bringing that opportunity to more kids throughout the Capital Region. We can all think of mentors who've helped us grow into the people we are today. Where would you be without that person? Some communities don't have acces to an information network of mentors. That's where you come in. You can bring caring mentors into children's lives. Mentors help them think about their futures, making healthy choices, and having positive relationships. When you make a donation of any size, it changes lives. 

$15 - pays to bring a child to and from the Site-Based Program to see their college-aged mentors

$25 - interview of one child and their parent

$50 - state and federal backgrouned check for one volunteer

$100 - volunteer recruitment efforts

$250 - full enrollment of one volunteer