| | | | | | | | March 2021 Hello BBBSCM Friends and Supporters, It is hard to believe that we have been living through a pandemic for a full year now. In the past year, we have learned so much about what our community of supporters is capable of. Let's reflect on what we were able to accomplish: - Raise over $100,000 for the Defend Potential Fund to continue operations during the pandemic and create an Emergency Relief Fund for the families we serve.
- Create new and healthy matches virtually, many of which are soon celebrating their one-year anniversaries.
- Host our first-ever virtual event, The Big Night In, raising $130,000!
- Create a new, virtual program for girls interested in STEM subjects called, G.E.M.
We are so proud of our staff, Bigs, families, board, and so many others who allowed our agency to grow, despite the challenging year. Today, we are feeling so hopeful for what the future holds. This month, we are excited to announce our re-invigorated partnership with Cradles to Crayons by way of Giving Factory Direct. Cradles to Crayons helps to provide everyday essentials to children in need. Our Match Support Specialists have an opportunity to nominate a child or sibling they work with for a "Kid Pack" of clothing from Cradles to Crayons. This program is available from birth to age 12. We look forward to being able to further support our families in this way. Families should contact their Match Support Specialist to place a request of a Kid Pack. It is also Women's History Month and we'd like to take a moment to recognize the powerful women in our organization. From our dedicated staff to our generous Bigs, we are fortunate to work with incredible women who are shaping the next generation of women. Thank you for taking the time to read our March newsletter and for standing with us to defend the potential of over 1,000 children! Sincerely,
The Team at Big Brothers Big Sisters | | | | | | We are excited to introduce you to a special match from the Worcester Area College Mentoring Program (WACMP). WACMP is one of the largest college mentoring programs in the country thanks to the dedicated staff and students at five Worcester area colleges. College students are matched with a child from a local elementary school and they meet with their Little once a week throughout the school year. | | | | If you attended our Annual Meeting at the beginning of this year, you may recognize this duo! Big, Caitlin Keaveny, is a Senior at Holy Cross. She was first introduced to Big Brothers Big Sisters through the cheer team in 2017. Caitlin was matched with Diasanti who was only 6 at the time! Despite facing many challenges this past year with the pandemic and schools being closed, Caitlin remained a dedicated Big to Diasanti. They found ways to connect and grow their relationship despite these challenges. At the Annual Meeting, we presented Caitlin with the Linda Urbec Award. This award recognizes the College Match of the Year. The award is named for Linda Urbec, a 17-year BBBSCM employee who dedicated her career to supporting youth in the Worcester public schools and working with college mentors from Holy Cross. Ms. Urbec retired in 2017. | | | | | | | | Recently, several community fridges have opened up in Worcester! These refrigerators are available to all members of the community. Anyone in need of extra resources is able to get fresh food for free, and anyone who has extra resources can drop food off. Pickup and drop off is free, fast, and anonymous (there are no signups or questions asked). These refrigerators are part of a mutual aid initiative designed to redistribute resources that have systematically been given in disproportionate rates to different people based on race, ethnicity, gender, immigration status, etc. To help support this effort, BBBS staff and matches had a virtual meeting where we created notes of love and encouragement to leave with the food left in the fridges. The event was super fun and we hope that the notes help brighten someone’s day! The three fridge locations are: The Bridge, 300 Southbridge Street (next to Miss Worcester Diner), Fantastic Pizza & Café at 910 Main St, and 44 Portland St. To learn more about the Community Fridge project, visit here. | | | | | |  | On March 2nd, the Mazie Mentoring Program hosted Part II of the College Readiness Series to prepare students for college. Additional information and resources were provided to prepare students for college. This event focused specifically on students who are first generation and/or undocumented students. The third and final event of the College Readiness Series will be on March 16. Current college students will be joining in on the call to answer any questions the mentees have about the transition from high school to college! If you're interested in learning more about the Mazie Mentoring Program, please email mazie@bbbscm.org. | | About the Mazie Mentoring Program The Mazie Mentoring Program matches at-risk high school students in Framingham, Waltham, and Marlborough with dedicated adult mentors for their Sophomore through Senior years of high school. Its objective is to provide young people with the support to help them achieve their goals and succeed. Since its foundation in 1998, the program has served 1,000 students. Created to honor the legacy of John Andrew Mazie, the program is in its 22nd year of operation. Since 2017, the program has been operated by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Mass & MetroWest. | | | | | | Golf Fore Kids | June 21, 2021 Golf Fore Kids is a fun-filled day of golf held at Framingham Country Club. This year, will be our 5th Annual Golf Fore Kids Tournament! We are still finalizing plans for the 2021 tournament, dependent on Covid-19 guidelines, but we are sure it will be a great day of golf! To register or sponsor the event, visit here. For questions, contact Lindsay.McCarthy@bbbscm.org. | | | | | | | | Stand With Us Today to Defend Potential When children and teens have the influence of a caring adult, they are more likely to avoid risky behaviors and to focus on academics. Today's youth face a variety of challenges, and being matched with a Big Brother or Big Sister can help them navigate these challenges and reach their potential. | | | | | | | | | | | |
