There were three Tri-Buddies competing at the Dunrobin Kids of Steele Event at the Bonnenfant YMCA-YWCA Outdoor Education and Leadership Centre Sunday August 29^th 

 

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 Group Activities have just gotten better!

 Big Brothers Big Sisters Ottawa (BBBSO) is never at a loss for volunteers. With over 500 volunteers annually, countless hours are given to children in need of a positive role model. Many of our volunteers feel that outrageous displays of recognition are not needed but their value is too important to overlook which is why we are pleased to announce the 2011 Mentors of the Year.

 

Big Brothers Big Sisters Ottawa (BBBSO) 3^rd annual Big Wrap Up was held on June 8, 2011 at the Delta Ottawa City Centre. With the incredible panoramic view of the city from the Penthouse it is the ideal setting to celebrate the agency's achievements, match friendship and volunteer dedication.  

We’ve had an excellent response from volunteers to our announcement in December that we are now able to accept Big Brothers who are interested in the Community Based Match Program.  With many spots to create new matches over the winter and spring, we are hopeful that many of the 45 Little Brothers who remain on the wait list will be paired up over the next year.

It is with excitement and enthusiasm that Big Brothers Big Sisters Ottawa (BBBSO) announces that we are accepting applications for men interested in becoming Big Brothers!

 

Throughout my experiences talking with people about Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ottawa, I get the sense that whenever people think of a Big Brother or a Big Sister, they get a certain mental picture of what a "Big" would be like.  The usual picture seems to be a young adult who is very energetic and sporty and has a ton of experience with youth.  Well, variety is the spice of life and we have no shortage of that here.  It just so happens that, here at Big Brothers Big Sisters Ottawa, we have dedicated and fantastic volunteers who are varying combinations of all of the qualities listed above and more. 

In fact, I remember quite fondly a story I was told from the mother of one "Little" who used to be involved in our programs.  At the graduation/closure meeting for this match, the mom let me know that she and her child were not too sure about being matched with their Big at first.  Mom explained to me that the Big was older and she was worried that he would have nothing in common with her son (especially their energy level).  Mom said that the Big seemed nice and they did not want to miss an opportunity so they accepted anyway...

For the past nine years, BBBSO has hosted a week long day camp for our Littles called Kids n’ Kops where we partner up with the RCMP 'A' Division, Ottawa Police Service, Military Police, and Ottawa Fire Department...

 

 

J’aime prendre le temps de témoigner de la différence qu’un(e) Grand(e) peut faire dans la vie d’un jeune même s’ils ne réalisent que des activités simples ensemble.  Il est important que quelqu’un prenne le temps de faire cette constatation puisqu’il peut être difficile parfois pour les Grand(es) de le faire par eux-mêmes.   

J’ai récemment eu l’occasion de m’entretenir avec une mère (Sylvie*) qui m'a témoigné des changements qu’elle avait remarqués chez son fils (Joey*) après seulement quatre mois de parrainage par son Grand Frère…

 

 

This past year BBBSO celebrated its fourth year of the Go Girls! program. The 2009 - 2010 school year was our most successful year to date, with programs running in 17 schools throughout the Ottawa area. We had over 40 dedicated volunteers that delivered the Go Girls! program to over 200 children.