Big Brothers Big Sisters

Big Brothers Big Sisters creates and supports oneto- one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth. At Big Brothers Big Sisters of Cumberland & Salem Counties, we work with families who proactively seek us out hoping to gain another invested adult into their child’s life. Together, we form a team dedicated to supporting children in gaining resiliency and building their futures. Our Littles, Bigs, professional program staff, Board, and families are grateful for our $100,000 Impact100 South Jersey grant for our pilot Mentor2.0 program. It truly has been game-changing. The grant enabled us to launch a pilot program with a local high school to match a group of students with college-educated mentors and career professionals and prepared us for the virtual and hybrid world of the pandemic. Mentor2.0 combines in-classroom curriculum, virtual communications on a proprietary platform and monthly in-person activities. The grant has allowed us to think innovatively. This program offered a mentoring model for a Big mentor who may have time and travel restrictions that aren’t conducive to our traditional programs. For our Littles, many of them will be first-generation college attendees and graduates. Impact100 South Jersey’s grant has created a ripple effect throughout our organization and community which will impact generations. From the selection process through the two-year implementation of our transformational pilot program, during a pandemic no less, Impact100 South Jersey worked with us as we adapted and addressed rising challenges and successes. Donna Bennett, our President and CEO, shared “I was so impressed with the process and membership, I decided to join our local Impact100 South Jersey chapter!”