Ski to Sea!

Alright everyone its finally here! Ski to Sea Grand Parade will be taking place this weekend, and BBBS will have a float. Come on out for some fun and to cheer us on! Here is a map to give everyone a general idea as to where we will be:

We will be float #87, judging is at noon. Hope to see you there!

School Buddies!

 With Big Brothers Big Sisters, there are multiple ways to get involved with the community- the School-Based Mentoring Program is an innovative approach created by Big Brothers Big Sisters to reach a more diverse population of children. The program is designed to improve youth’s social skills as well as foster academic performance. The volunteer meets with the student on the school campus, once a week during school hours, for a minimum of one school year. They play games, shoot hoops, just hang out or work on homework. We have found that programs that encourage activities with a socio-emotional focus are more likely to have greater academic impact, higher quality and longer duration compared to programs that focus on academic/tutoring activities.

Here is a message from one of our participating elementary school teachers:

The Big Sister program has had an instant and amazing impact on my two students. I have never seen them beam as much since they’ve had this opportunity to connect with an older ‘sister’ buddy. The attention they receive seems to fill up their emotional tank.  Both seem so much less needy in the classroom. I am truly impressed. 

-Happy Valley Elementary Teacher

For more information on the School Buddies Program contact Colleen Haggerty at (360) 671.6400 (102)

Story #6!

Here are some great reasons to be involved with BBBS from our very own Linda Cundiff. For more information on being a BIG visit out webpage, and check it out! There are so many different opportunities for someone to help out with BBBS, you might be surprised!

Many things have impressed me at BBBS. Not being directly involved with program area I only hear snippets of stories:

·      The relationships that continue between the big and little long after the match has ended.

·      The reasons why volunteers become bigs especially the story of one big who appreciated the importance and support of his older brother after his father had passed away.

·      The generosity of our donors.

·      The dedication of our staff.

Letter from a Little

A cute letter from one of our Littles :)

Dear BBBS,

Let me tell

you about my 2 years

as Rex Dudley’s

little brother. He

has encouraged me

to get good grades

in school, took me

places that I wouldn’t

have been able to go

to without him,

and he has got

me to do things

I had never done

before.

                sincerely,

                little brother

P.S I want to be

a big when I grow

up.

Story #5!

Lynn's second story, a great example of how long the relationship between a Big and Little can last.

A mom of a former Little Brother called and said her son’s former Big Brother was going to be visiting soon and she asked if they could come to our office to take a picture of them in front of our big logo sign on the window. They had been matched in another city, but the boy and his mom now live in Bellingham and she had seen our logo while driving by. The boy was turning 18, so the Big Brother was invited to celebrate the birthday with him. They had remained in touch even though they live in separate states now.

The Big Brother had come to town another time to help the Little Brother investigate college opportunities.

So on the day of the birthday, all three of them (mom, Little and Big) came to the office to get some pictures taken. The “Little” Brother was now about 4 inches taller than his “Big” Brother so that in itself made an interesting picture. And then we learned that the Big’s birthday gift to his Little Brother would be to pay for his college expenses! The mom was really excited because a college education probably wouldn’t have been attainable any other way. There were lots of BIG smiles that day to catch on camera. 

Bowl for Kids' Sake Press Release!

Bowlers in tutus and green wigs were seen at the 14^th Annual Bowl for Kid’s Sake.  The event benefiting Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Washington (BBBSNW) brought in over $36,000.  Held on March 27, 2011, the event was a culmination of community support all coming together at Park Bowl in Bellingham for a celebratory day of bowling, pizza and prizes.
“This event continues to be successful because of the support we receive from local businesses and individuals that are so dedicated to helping children in our community,” says Bliss Goldstein, CEO at BBBSNW.  “Without this support we could not continue our vital mentoring programs.  The funds are used to support matches between Big Brothers or Sisters and children - whose futures are at risk - giving them the childhood they deserve.   With Bowl for Kid’s Sake kids truly win.”
Local celebrities, such as, Mayor Dan Pike, Miss Whatcom County 2011, Miss Whatcom County 2010 and Mrs. Washington helped kick off bowling sessions.  Both Sponsors and individual teams came together to show their support with the generous donations that came through the door throughout the day. 
A vital piece to the day was the volunteers groups from the Girl Scouts of America, Kohl’s, WWU and past or current Big Brothers or Big Sisters who showed up to help make it happen.  “As a Big Sister, I was honored to be a part of this event that helps to raise funds towards a program that has enhanced not only my life, but the 400 matches in Whatcom and Skagit county.” said Amanda Sutton, Bowl for Kid’s Sake volunteer. 
BBBSNW is grateful that the thank you list is too long to print.  Please check our website for a list of sponsors and top fundraisers from this year’s Bowl for Kid’s Sake www.bbbs-nw.org.
Top team costumes of the day were awarded to the Lucky Lenders at Pacific Northwest Credit Union, the Bowllerinas at Botanical Laboratories and the Bobble Globble team.  With the enthusiasm created by the costumes and the mission of BBBSNW you can bet there will more teams participating in this event next year.
ABOUT BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS OF NORTHWEST WASHINGTON

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Washington is the largest mentoring organization in Northwest Washington, serving over 400 children annually in Whatcom and Skagit counties.  BBBSNW has a BIG dream of transforming our community through positive, stable adult one-to-one mentoring relationships.  

Story #4!

Our office administrator Lynn Dayton is very lucky to be able to meet and greet all of our Bigs and Littles who come into our offices. She hears stories from many of our volunteers about their experiences and what a difference Big Brothers Big Sisters had made in their lives. For this and next weeks blog story, Lynn had been kind enough to share some of her favorites with us :)

One day an older gentleman walked in (at our Broadway location) and said he had been a Big Brother many years ago in Whatcom County. While he was visiting family in Bellingham he noticed our office and wanted to stop in to say hello. He reminisced about his days as a Big Brother, matched with a Little Brother from a single-mom home. He had introduced his Little to many outdoor activities including hikes in the woods and mountain climbing. Those fun activities and introduction to nature probably wouldn’t have otherwise been experienced by the Little Brother.  When the Little became 18 the official match ended but they remained very good friends and stayed in touch even though they both moved to different states. The “Big” (now 80 years old) talked about the pleasure of being included in his Little Brother’s wedding.

A few months after that visit, both “Big” and “Little” were in town at the same time and they came to the office together to visit us. At that time we learned that all the outdoor activities they enjoyed together years ago resulted in the Little Brother now serving in the US Forest Service!