WE SAT DOWN WITH MAURICE JAMES
(Board of Directors Chair, Big Brother and Former Little Brother) to talk about how mentoring impacted his life and inspired him to give back.
DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION
“Inclusion is not bringing people into what already exists; it is making a new space a better space for everyone.” -George Dei
OUR STATEMENT
Big Brothers Big Sisters acknowledges that systemic discrimination is at the root of many barriers to success that children and adults face, particularly people of color. As we work to counter this injustice through our programs, we also commit to dismantling the racism and inequities embedded in our policies, systems, and services. True diversity, equity, and inclusion are vital to the well-being of our staff and the youth, families, mentors, and supporters we serve.
DEI has been a priority for Big Brothers Big Sisters for the past several years, both locally and nationally. Given current events, the urgency of the work has only intensified.
INNOVATING AND TRANSFORMING OUR AGENCY TO MEET THE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY DURING THE CURRENT CRISIS
Our one-to-one mentoring relationships support the critical social and emotional development needed to help build resilience and promote the mental health and well-being of the children we serve across the Puget Sound. Now more than ever, Big Brothers Big Sisters is stepping up to find innovative ways in serving our communities to #KeepKidsConnected.
VIRTUAL MATCHING:
Now more than ever, our children and their parents need emotional and social support. While working remotely to observe safe social-distancing, our team continues to provide the support and resources necessary to keep our youth connected during these difficult times. Zoom, Teams, Skype, and FaceTime are just some of the innovative tools we use to conduct virtual interviews, so we can match youth with a Big Brother or Big Sister.
VIRTUAL MENTORING:
Within every child lies the potential for greatness. We know how important it is to keep our youth connected to both school and social support activities while home. MentorU is our safe and monitored mentoring platform for mentors and mentees to continue their relationships while they may be separated due to COVID-19.
Join Big Brothers Big Sisters as we partner with youth, volunteers, families and the community to be there for each other and to get through this crisis together.
SOCIAL SUPPORT ACTIVITIES FOR YOUTH
Families in our community are facing immense challenges – especially food, housing, and job insecurity. We connect our families with resources and access to support so they can meet the basic needs for youth to thrive in a COVID-19 era.
KEEPING KIDS CONNECTED
Our mission is driven by 1-to-1 connections, and we’re determined not the let isolation stop our kids from getting the support they need.
COVID19 has changed but not stopped our critical work. Our team is interviewing potential Bigs and youth virtually so kids can get paired during the pandemic. With more than 700 youth on our waiting list, our need for mentors, especially men, is great.
