Big Brothers Big Sisters Owen Sound is excited to announce that due to the expansion of our services to communities outside of Owen Sound, we have been granted permission by National Office to change our name to Big Brothers Big Sisters Grey Bruce. Since the expansion of Big Brothers and Big Sisters in Owen Sound beginning in 2016, there have been numerous calls and inquiries as to the possibility of extending services to surrounding communities. The need for mentoring services throughout the Counties became very evident.
“In our area there are so many kids who could benefit from having a mentor. Volunteering for only one hour a week can truly change the course of a young life” said Jennifer Miller, Big Brothers Big Sisters Owen Sound’s Executive Director. “Big Brothers Big Sisters is such a meaningful and impactful way of affecting positive change for families.”
Over the past two years, we have been successful in recruiting volunteers to assist in providing Big Brother Big Sister services in both Wiarton and Markdale. Recently we were asked to take on Big Brothers Big Sisters programs in Meaford and now programs for that community are coordinated from our office.
“It just seemed logical”, stated Andy McKee, president of Big Brothers Big Sisters Owen Sound. “While we currently cannot serve all of the communities in the two counties, we felt it was important for all of those communities to know that there was one local agency that could provide them with direction on how to introduce Big Brother Big Sister programs in their town. Essentially, we grow as our volunteer base grows and we hope to continue expanding our volunteer base”.
In addition, Big Brothers Big Sisters Canada is working on a Regional agency system and they were 100% in support of a Grey Bruce approach. They are assisting with our transition (new logo, website, etc.) which will be taking place over the next couple of weeks. Please note that our existing methods of contact will remain intact throughout the transition period.
In our community, people can participate by: Becoming a Big Brother or Big Sister, volunteering for in-school mentoring, joining our Board of Directors, helping out at events, register a team for our annual Bowl for Kids or Golf for Kids fundraisers or by simply donating to support program delivery.
To learn more about the role mentoring plays in our community and to find out more about volunteer opportunities visit: https://www.bigbrothersbigsisters.ca/owensound or give us a call at 519-376-4449.
source: media release, Big Brothers Big Sisters Grey Bruce
