Story

“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 […]

The type of bullying most common among girls is subtle and difficult to detect. It uses friendship as a weapon and involves hurting others through social exclusion, rejection, or gossip. The “Go Girls! Healthy Minds, Healthy Bodies” program gives participants an opportunity to not only learn about healthy eating and living habits, they also learn about healthy friendships and how to navigate their way through experiences of bullying.For Ricky Thandi and Rachel Philip, two Go Girls volunteer mentors who have co-facilitated the program together, bullying came up many times in their most recent Go Girls group. Before the first session, the school principal told the mentors that the participants were experiencing a lot of friendship drama amongst themselves. Ricky and […]

“When you bring girls together at such a crucial age, you create a strong bond and develop unique connections that create friendships.”Kate, our Go Girls! program coordinator, had the chance to witness youth come together during her time as a Go Girls! mentor. Kate became a volunteer mentor while in university. Having struggled herself as a young teen, she valued the opportunity to offer guidance to girls in need. “It’s such a tough age, and connections are really important,” she remembers. Through Go Girls! Kate was able to witness firsthand the positive impact that the program was having on its participants. “When the girls were brought together, they didn’t know each other. They really got to know each other through the […]

“I did better and better in school, and with that I was able to make new friends”Wendylyn, today 15, arrived in Canada from the Philippines with her family in 2014. Her parents made the hard decision to prioritize the future of their children over their own successes. “They decided to move us all to Canada for the opportunities here”. Wendylyn first walked in her new classroom very shyly after being presented to her new classmates. With the abrupt cultural switch, she now had to get used to the aspects of her new life, she was now faced with children she knew very little about. It started being difficult to connect with others her age, “I was anxious around others, there wasn’t […]

Big Sister Sophie and Little Sister Matida could not have come from more opposite worlds. Growing up in the Kootenays, Sophie recalls having a quiet childhood with her parents and sister. Matida, on the other hand, was born in Senegal, West Africa, and moved to Quebec at the age of 5. Her family moved around quite often, living in Saskatchewan and East Vancouver. Moving around left Matida with anything but a quiet childhood. She had troubles making friends and struggled with her math and science subjects which led to Matida’s mom seeking out assistance from Big Sisters’ Study Buddy program.In high school, Sophie found a love for science and was excited about it, which she ultimately pursued in university. As […]

“I can actually be more than the typical statistic.” Mentorship allowed Little Sister Maria to realize that she has the potential to do more and dream bigger. Big Sister Renee grew up in Saskatchewan with a big family. As the youngest of 4 children, she was constantly surrounded by siblings, cousins, nieces, and nephews whom she adored. However, when she moved to Vancouver in 2007, she felt the missing piece of having that large family and wanted to experience that connection with young children again. Thus, she volunteered to be a Big Sister and was quickly matched with 9-year-old Maria in 2009. Little Sister Maria did not have the same experience as Renee growing up. Maria recalls growing up in the stereotypical […]

When the world is going through a pandemic, everyone feels disconnected. However, Donna and Cindy show us that even through isolation, when you have a Sister by your side, you will never feel alone.“Isn’t she a wonderful young woman?” These were the first words that Big Sister Donna said when she heard Little Sister Cindy’s name. Donna grew up in Belfast, Northern Ireland with her parents. When Donna was 14, her mom and dad divorced. Her mom left and her dad turned to alcohol. Her rough upbringing came at an age where she needed a good influence in her life and someone who she could rely on.At 18, she decided she had enough and jumped on the first flight she found. […]

We’re showing some love for our Big Sister alumnae! Over the next while we’ll be sharing a series of interviews that feature our alumnae and their involvement with Big Sisters. Kicking us off is our interview with a Big Sister of 7 years, Alex Gens! Read on to find out why mentoring matters to Alex, and her advice on how best to get involved.  MEET: MELISSA JANG, FORMER BIG SISTER Next up in our alumnae interview series is Melissa Jang! Read on to learn about why she became a Study Buddy, where her Little Sister is off to now, and the plan she helped her build to realize her dreams. Why were you interested in becoming a Big Sister? I […]