Big Brothers Big Sister Upper Fraser Valley
To some it might be just a photocopier, but for the staff and volunteers at Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) Upper Fraser Valley, the newest addition to the office is making a world of difference.
“People don’t realize how important it is for non-profit organizations like Big Brothers and Big Sisters to have the right technology to meet our needs,” says David Bahr, BBBS Executive Director. “For instance, our mentoring programs have expanded to the point where we need to upgrade our marketing and recruitment tools—this copier now lets us produce these materials in-house so we can attract new volunteers while promoting our programs in the community.”
The cost of the new copier was split between BBBS and the Envision Financial Community Endowment, which provided BBBS with a $4,725 grant. Currently, BBBS has more than 300 volunteer mentors in Chilliwack, Sardis, Yarrow and Hope who serve 350 children and youth.
“With the downturn in the economy, many people have chosen to support specific charitable programs as opposed to these types of capital purchases,” explains Seline Kutan, Executive Director of the First West Foundation. “But for the Foundation, something as simple as a photocopier is just as important, because ultimately it enables these programs to exist and grow.”
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada is the nation’s largest youth mentoring organization, providing quality adult mentoring services for over 26,000 children. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada currently has 140 agencies serving more than 1,000 communities, and yet more must be done, as some children still have to wait up to two years for a Big Brother or Big Sister. www.bigbrothersbigsisters.ca.
