On Tuesday, Aug. 14, Marblehead residents gathered together to show their support for Big Sister Association of Greater Boston and to help recruit volunteers and donors for Little Sisters of the North Shore. The gathering took place at the Eastern Yacht Club on Marblehead Neck with more than 25 attendees.
Don and Joan White, longtime Marblehead residents and parents of Big Sister recruitment coordinator Nicole White, hosted the gathering.
“Advocating for youth has always been a passion of mine, and at Big Sister I am able to focus on the needs of girls in the greater Boston area,” Nicole said. “Mentoring is about the desire to give back and to make an impact, knowing that you have an opportunity to change the life of a girl and your own in the process.”
Also in attendance was Marblehead resident and current Big Sister Julie Wilson. Wilson, who is matched with Little Sister Selena, shared her experiences and what she has learned from her Big Sister relationship. She spoke about how, although going to a Justin Bieber concert was a special treat, they typically enjoy doing free or low-cost things, like going to Devereux Beach together and getting slushies at Lime Rickey’s.
Wilson also said she knew they were meant to be together when, during their first match activity together, they realized both of their dogs were golden retrievers named Bunny. It was fate. Wilson and Selena have been matched for more than four years, and Wilson said she looks forward to many more years as Selena’s mentor and friend.
Currently, there are more than 90 girls who live in the North Shore that are on the waiting list for a Big Sister.
About Big Sister Association of Greater Boston
Big Sister Association of Greater Boston, the nation’s largest and only donor-and-volunteer-supported mentoring organization in the Big Brothers Big Sisters network exclusively serving girls, holds itself accountable for girls in its program to achieve measurable outcomes, such as educational success, avoidance of risky behaviors, and having higher aspirations, greater confidence and better relationships.
Partnering with parents or guardians, schools, corporations and others in the community, Big Sister carefully pairs girls (“Little Sisters”) with screened volunteer mentors (“Big Sisters”) and monitors and supports these one-to-one mentoring matches throughout their course.
The first-ever Big Brothers Big Sisters Youth Outcomes Survey, released in 2012, substantiates that the organization’s mentoring programs have proven, positive academic, socio-emotional and behavioral outcomes for youth, areas linked to high school graduation, avoidance of juvenile delinquency and college or job readiness, the organization said.
Big Sister Association of Greater Boston aims to provide girls facing adversity, often those of single or low-income households or families, with strong and enduring, professionally supported one-to-one mentoring relationships that change their lives for the better, forever. This mission has been the cornerstone of the organization’s 60-year history. Learn more about donating or volunteering at BigSister.org.