IT Administrator

A Little’s future driven by her Big Sister’s Some kids have to grow up faster than others. Theresa was one of them. Her childhood was spent in and out of foster care, Theresa acted as the parent figure for her own little sister. Eventually, a family friend, she and her sister consider their ‘grandmother’, took them in her home. While she was able to provide Theresa and her sister with food and shelter, Theresa’s grandmother knew minimal English and could not talk to Theresa about everything that was going on in her life. Theresa’s social worker observed how Theresa was looking after her younger sister, trying to stay afloat in her own life, and lacking a stable source of adult […]

Volunteer Mentor Ashley and her Mentee Mariah were matched in 2011. What began as just a mentor and mentee relationship has now blossomed into a decade-long friendship. Ashley grew up in a single-parent household with her mom and brother. In her teenage years, the family moved around a lot. Oftentimes, she found herself wishing she had a constant figure of support to understand and talk to. The shifts in her life made her wish that she had a big sister growing up. Although a long-term admirer of the organization, Ashley wanted to wait until she felt stability in her life before committing to the program. At age 30, Ashley felt she was ready and officially started her application process to […]

Little Sister, Shivani, got more from her Study Buddy than help with her homework. She got the inspiration to be herself. Being a Study Buddy was my first experience of how fulfilling it can be to show up for someone else. It’s incredibly selfish being of service. It gives you a break from the problems in your own head, and when you do come back to them – as we inevitably do – they all appear smaller. – Study Buddy, Heather On the day Shivani graduated from high school, her entire family was there – her parents, sister, grandparents, aunts and uncles, and even cousins. But one other person was there, too, whose presence meant a whole lot to Shivani […]

“She helped me realize and understand that people will accept me unapologetically, that I am strong and have valuable opinions. Where before I didn’t have a voice, Blair showed me the confidence I had to be who I am.” Among other personal hardships, Emma was struggling with her schoolwork at the start of high school. At 14, Emma decided to take matters into her own hands and request some form of support from her counsellor, who then referred her to the Study Buddy program. Soon, she was matched with her Big Sister, Blair. Emma was at first nervous to meet with Blair, and both were unsure of how the match would go. Blair worried about whether she would be able […]

Little Sister Marley was matched with her Big Sister Glenda at age 12. She now works for Big Sisters and is the first point of contact for many of the families seeking our programs. Marley is an inspiration to us all at Big Sisters BCLM and credits her Big Sister for the confidence she now exudes. Here’s a letter she wrote about her experience: A Letter from Former Little Sister Marley Being 12 is not easy. Being 12 and a girl is really not easy. You’re going from childhood into adolescence, it’s a time when everything changes —your body, your frame of mind, your environment, everything. You feel like no one’s on your side, it’s you against the world, and […]

“She makes me feel that I matter and that I have an important role to play in her life.”  Study Buddy Anna and Little Sister Olimpia were matched for nearly 4 years, until Olimpia graduated out of the Study Buddy program. They were first matched when Olimpia was in grade 9 and as she describes it, a “rebellious teenager.” “I dropped bombs on her, testing her to see if she would stick around,” Olimpia says about their first year as a match. Anna stuck it out with the help of her caseworker and the two of them developed a strong bond. Anna says, “At the end of the day, Olimpia had self-perceptions that weren’t true.” Anna said that Olimpia’s teachers […]