Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orillia & District #3 – 64 Mississaga St. W. Orillia, ON L3V 3A8 (705)325-3151 Share A Little Magic Visit our website at www.bbbsorillia.ca In case you may not know, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orillia & District is in urgent need of Big Brothers/Sisters. It doesn’t take a lot of time, cost a lot of money or take away from your own family. Instead, it helps you live through the eyes of a child again & help a child learn the valuable lessons that a “FRIEND” can give. There are many options available for volunteering at our agency and we thought, who better to approach to help us, help more children than our biggest & best supporters, YOU!! Currently we are in full swing of our site-based mentoring programs which include: In-School Mentoring Program-Elementary - This is a friendship program for boys and girls in grades 2-7 in local elementary schools. Our agency works with the school to identify those students who would most benefit from a one-to-one relationship with a caring adult. The Mentor spends one hour per week doing a fun activity or just talking with a child who could use a friend. In-School Mentoring-Secondary - This is a friendship program for students (male and female) in grades nine and ten in local high schools. The Mentor spends one hour per week at school doing an interesting activity (sports, baking, games, etc.) or just talking with a young person who needs a friend. Go Girls! - The"Go Girls! Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds” program is designed to provide girls aged 12-14 with information to help them make informed choices about healthy active living and support them in dealing with the emotional, social, and cultural issues they may face. We want you to know that we consistently have over 30 children on the waiting list for a “Big” (some for over 2 years) & we really want to reduce that list. Even better, we wish we could have a waiting list of volunteers!! Our agency serves the City of Orillia as well as the 3 surrounding townships of Severn, Ramara and Oro-Medonte. Many of our waiting list children are in rural areas, making their wait much longer. If you are very busy, remember that you don’t have to spend 3-4 hours every time you see your Little. A simple outing for a chat and a refreshing drink is a meaningful outing if only for an hour. Low cost to no cost outings and the simple things in life are all that our volunteers need to offer to a child to lift their spirits every week! Please call me at 325-3151 to volunteer now or email at dbrock@bbbsorillia.ca. Debbie Brock Manager of Programs & Services Orillia Sebright Brechin Hawkestone Moonstone Coldwater Rama Waubaushene Washago Share a Little Magic! Email volunteer@bbbsorillia.ca to find out where you can make a difference today. FEATURE FRIENDSHIP ........... Kate Palmer……30 years In a time when it is difficult to find individuals willing and able to commit 3-4 hours per week to a child, Kate is an outstanding example of commitment and dedication. This dedication is exemplary in conjunction with all of Kate’s other volunteer commitments. Kate was first matched with a Little Sister in 1979 and has been matched with five others since then. Some of these matches lasted until the girls ‘graduated’ from the program at 18 and others lasted much longer than that. In the past year she has volunteered in the In-school mentoring program and is matched with a 9 year old girl at Orchard Park. Together they are building a great relationship spending an hour a week together and doing crafts, playing games and talking. Big Sisters’ Host a Match program involved a group of Big and Little Sisters getting together once per month in the Big Sisters’ homes for dinner and social time. Although this was not a formal part of the agency, Kate has maintained contact with former Little Sisters who have gone on to have families of their own. This is indicative of the deep emotional bond Kate has developed and maintained in the lives of the girls who have come into her life. Kate was also a board member for Big Sisters from 1981-1985. During those years, Kate’s valuable contribution to the agency was incredible. She served as treasurer, served on the Big Sister Council and chaired the Publicity Committee. She has also assisted or contributed to almost every fundraiser in the past 30 years. One of her Little Sister’s mothers commented that “Kate has a wonderful way of touching other people’s lives in her caring and giving way. Anyone that has had the pleasure of meeting and connecting with Kate knows what a wonderful person she is.” Aside from her contributions to our agency, Kate has volunteered for the Legion, the Orillia Horticultural Society, the Commercial Slow Pitch League and blood donor clinic committee. She received the Order of Orillia award for those who have enriched the lives of others in 2004 and the Golden Jubilee Medal which is the Queen’s award for voluntary service. For three years consecutively, Kate was the top individual fundraiser for our Annual Bowl for Kids’ Sake helping us raise over $5000. We commend her extreme efforts and her huge heart. We are proud of her involvement with our agency and appreciate her high level of commitment and her passion for community work. We consider ourselves very fortunate to have had her touch so many people in this agency. From all of us, thank you Kate. BBBS News is brought to you by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orillia & District Charitable Registration # 10780 3546 RR0001 Join Us & Be an In-School Mentor One hour a week during the school day is all it takes to make a difference in a child’s life!! Plus you get a March break, Christmas & summer vacations so come be a kid all over again!! Currently active in the following schools: Brechin Public School Harriett Todd P.S. Lions' Oval P.S. Marchmont P.S. Kendaaswin Elementary School (new title for Mnj.) Monsignor Lee Separate School Orchard Park P.S. Regent Park P.S. Uptergrove P.S. Twin Lakes Secondary School ODCVI -Orillia District Collegiate Vocational Institute Traditional Big & Little Matches Positive adult role models are matched with children in need of friendship and guidance. The expected time commitment for these matches between women and girls, men and boys, is approximately three hours per week. Couple Matches This matching program provides a more balanced family relationship through time spent with a male/female couple doing activities that interest all three. A couple may be matched with either a young girl or boy and the expected time commitment is also weekly, for approximately three hours. Big Bunch Program One adult is matched with two children on the waiting lists. Outings occur 1-2 times per month Cross Gender Matches If appropriate, a female adult volunteer is matched with a young boy, spending time weekly as a traditional match. In-School Mentoring - Elementary Male and female adults are matched to a young boy or girl generally between the ages of 7 - 12 and spend one hour each week together in the school setting. Go-Girls! Healthy Bodies Healthy Minds This 7 week program takes place in our schools and includes two adults mentoring between 4 to 8 girls ages 7 to 12. The focus of the program is building self esteem and encouraging healthy living and eating. OUR PROGRAMS In-School Mentoring - Secondary Male and female adults are matched to a grade 9 at-risk student and spend one hour each week together in the high school setting. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orillia & District #3 – 64 Mississaga St. W. Orillia, ON L3V 3A8 (705)325-3151 Share A Little Magic Visit our website at www.bbbsorillia.ca Big Brothers and Big Sisters are people like you who volunteer to share a little time with a young person. There are 135 Big Brothers/Big Sister agencies in over 1000 communities across Canada that provide direct service to over 27,000 children by matching them to adult volunteers in quality mentoring relationships. The agency in Orillia is just one of those agencies with a vision to “provide a mentor to any child in our area who needs one.” In 2008, Big Brothers and Big Sisters positively impacted more than 140 families through a variety of programs. We are able to do this work through the support of so many. On behalf of those families and the children we serve, we say thank you to our volunteers and those who support us financially. Building Strong Relationships in a Strong Community. James Maxwell - Executive Director Big Brothers Big Sisters raises 100% of its support through a variety of events, from grants and through our donors. Every dollar helps. Thank you to those who continually support our agency. Every dollar is used to make a BIG impact in a child’s life. Please consider giving financially in support of the programs and services we provide. Thank you. A NOTE FROM OUR BOARD CHAIR To those of you who may not know me, my name is Brandy Nicholson and I am excited to be the new chairperson for the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orillia and district board of directors. My involvement with BBBS began in 2003 and progressed to the board of directors in 2006. I have been involved in various programs such as In School Mentoring, Go Girls, cross gender match (Big Buddy to Michael for three years) and the traditional program. My Little Sister Shania and I have been matched for just over three years. I have watched her grow from a shy, quiet nine year old to a bright, vibrant and very tall 12 year old. She has this incredible ability to be able to brighten my day with just a smile. BBBS has the best volunteers! They are caring, giving and always willing to help out. They are the fundraisers, the committee members and most importantly of all, the positive influences on the Littles of our community. We need and appreciate all our volunteers and are always looking for new ones. There is an active list of between 20 and 30 deserving, wonderful children waiting for a mentor. All it takes is a few hours a week. Involve your family. These children need and want to be part of a positive family influence. Can’t volunteer? Become a board member. Attend one of our events. Make a donation. We want to continue to be a part of this community and cannot do this without your support. Being born and raised in Orillia, I recognize the unique demographic in which we live. There are so many children who need and deserve a positive adult role model in this community. The positive influence you can have a child can mean the world to them. These children are the future of Orillia. Let’s raise them to be fabulous community minded individuals who will continue to pay it forward. Thank you and I promise to support the board and staff of BBBS to the best of my ability!!! Brandy Nicholson – Board Chair Board of Directors Chair – Brandy Nicholson Vice Chair – Michael Taylor Treasurer – Ben Cole Secretary – Jan Maskery Board Members Rick Fenton Kathy Backway Joan Mahaffey Agency Staff James Maxwell Executive Director Debbie Brock Manager of Programs & Services Suzanne Ure Office & Events Coordinator Committee Groups Bonspiel Committee Chair – Jan Maskery Denise Coker Pat Cranny Kathy Backway Golf Committee Chair – Brandy Nicholson Rick Fenton Debbie Brock Terry Smith Todd Scott Affiliations Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada Chair – Karen Fonseth President – Bruce MacDonald www.bigbrothersbigsisters.ca Big Brothers Big Sisters Fast Facts . What types of stuff do the volunteers do with the kids? Whether it’s our in-school program or our traditional matches, you can play sports and games, bake cookies, do arts and crafts, or just hang out and talk. Most importantly is knowing that any time you spend with the children in our programs is quality time in their eyes. . What does it take to be a volunteer? Time: One hour a week for In-School Mentors and 2-4 hours a week for a Big Brother or Big Sister. There is also Go Girls program which a 7 week session that runs over the course of the school year. Money: Little to none. We encourage low-cost/no-cost activities for Bigs & Littles. Some of our programs, like Go Girls, are funded through one of our corporate partners which provide all of the resources for our treasure boxes and journals. Age: It depends. If you’re over the age of 18, chances are, we’ve got a spot for you. Experience: None. All it takes is a little time and enthusiasm. . Is being a Mentor fun? YES! Being a mentor to a child is a chance to have fun and feel like a kid again! All you have to do is ask one of our volunteers how much fun it is and how great it feels to make a difference in a child’s life. . Say I can’t commit to some of the programs mentioned but I want to help out, what can I do? No worries. We are constantly looking for volunteers for our organization. You may be interested in being on one of our event committees, or joining our Board of Directors. Simply put, this organization runs on the help of individuals from all walks of life and time and level of commitments vary. . How do I become a Volunteer? Contact Debbie at 705-325-3151 or email volunteer@bbbsorillia.ca . How do I find out more about Board or Committee work? Contact James at 705-325-3151 or email jmaxwell@bbbsorillia.ca WE NEED YOUR HELP - Here are several ways you can lend a hand today. Help Us —As a volunteer, you can impact one of the children on our waiting list. We currently have 24 boys and girls who could benefit from a mentoring relationship. Your simple commitment of only a few hours per week could change someone’s life. Join Us —From server night to speedway night, bonspiel to bowling, there are several ways you can come out and support our agency at one of our great events. Talk About Us —Whether financially or physically, you may not be able to help us today but you may know someone who can. Tell your neighbors, friends, and co-workers about our agency or have them give us a call. We would love to share them about what we are doing. Support Us —Become a community partner today and make an immediate impact by committing to support our agency financially over the next year and longer. For as little as $3 per day, we can provide, monitor and support a healthy mentoring relationship for a child in need. Let The Games Begin…. Mark your calendar for two of our biggest community events. . Curl for Kids Sake - Annual Appeal Spiel - Sunday, March 7th . Bowl for Kids Sake - April 14 – 18 Call the office for more information or to find out how your business can sponsor these great community events. Big Brothers Big Sisters families and volunteers are pleased to be collecting non-perishable food donations at this years Santa’s Claus Parade on November 22nd. This is our opportunity to give back to the community while supporting the Sharing Place Food Bank. Thank you to Thor Motors for donating their cube van and to all of our volunteers. The van will be followed by our annual float driven by Rob Nagel of Old Tyme Welding. Merry Christmas Everyone!! BBBS Bigs & Littles Christmas Party Friday, December 4, 2009 - 6:00 to 8:30 Georgian College – Cafeteria - 282 Memorial Ave. (Snack and refreshments provided) Open to all youth and volunteers matched in our programs or currently on our waiting list. RSVP by November 26th with Suzanne at 325-3151 or sure@bbbsorillia. Hosted by Georgian College and the students within the Therapeutic Recreation Program. Thank you for your continued support. "How lovely to think that no one need wait a moment, we can start now, start slowly changing the world. How lovely that everyone, great and small, can make their contribution...how we can always, always give something, even if it is only kindness" - Anne Frank