Big Brothers Big Sisters of Puget Sound (BBBSPS) is building a complete mentoring network in Snohomish County: recruiting adult mentors, enrolling young people, and laying the groundwork for local employer partnerships. Sometimes that network looks like three siblings, three separate matches, and three Bigs who each show up in a completely different way.
Jenna and Emily
Jenna is 8. This summer marked her and her Big, Emily’s, second year in a row picking raspberries and blackberries together. They’ve also spent a sunny afternoon wandering the tulip fields at the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. One of their most meaningful outings didn’t happen at a festival at all: Emily noticed Jenna paid close attention to people experiencing homelessness whenever they were out together, and that Jenna had said she someday wanted to give all her money to help. So, Emily helped her act on it sooner, the two of them put together bagged lunches and spent an afternoon handing them out downtown.
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Julia and Fatema
Julia is 11. She and her Big, Fatema, have tackled escape rooms together and gone horseback riding. After watching her younger sister’s outing handing out food, Julia wanted to do the same with Fatema, so the two of them made it part of one of their own outings. Fatema says the match has taught her as much as it’s given Jenna’s sister: “She’s so informed, so bright, so funny,” she said. “I just want to continue to be a safe space for her.”
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Yousef and Coral
Yousef is 10. He and his Big, Coral, have built birdhouses, visited petting zoos and animal shelters, baked cookies, made homemade pizza, and planted a pot of flowers for Yousef to give his mom for Mother’s Day. They also make time for movies, soccer and basketball, meeting up every other week without fail.
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Three kids. Three Bigs. Three completely different ways of showing up.
An escape room here, a birdhouse there, a bag of lunches handed out downtown. That is what a real mentoring network looks like once it is actually built; not one template repeated three times, but individual adults meeting individual kids exactly where their curiosity already is.
Become a Big in Snohomish County
You do not need special expertise, income or background to be a great mentor. Your consistency is the asset. If you have a few hours a month, there is a Little in Snohomish County waiting for a Big like Emily, Fatema or Coral. Learn more and apply at inspirebig.org/become-a-big.
Enroll a Child
Families in Snohomish County can enroll a child in the BBBSPS mentoring program today at inspirebig.org/enroll-a-child/.
Interested in Partnering as an Employer?
BBBSPS is also laying early groundwork for corporate and community partnerships in Snohomish County. Local businesses interested in early conversations can contact James Modie, Chief Development Officer.
