MAKE AN IMPACT brothers & BIG sisters of calgary and area BIG 08/09 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E The concept of pairing up one “Big” with one “Little” is key AMP’s vision is that “every child and youth at risk who needs to unlocking a young person’s potential and making a lifelong a mentor has access to a mentor”, which closely aligns with impact. Through our carefully documented outcomes and our vision. We are among a team of 29 organizations, including evaluation process we at Big Brothers and Big Sisters of government and community agencies, that are working together Calgary and Area (BBBS) know that mentorship positively and to create more mentoring opportunities for the children and dramatically alters the course of the young person’s life – and youth of Alberta. the volunteer’s, too! Similar to AMP, Kafé 12 is a Calgary-based collaboration focused In this our 2008-2009 Annual Report we are proud to share with on the life course of young people who are at risk of dropping you the significant impact we’ve made together by pairing up our out of school. Numerous studies have demonstrated the impact community’s young people with a legion of caring, passionate mentoring relationships have on young people successfully and dedicated volunteer mentors. graduating. Knowing this, we are committed to improving high school completion rates through working collaboratively to While this past year has proven to be one of many hurdles and increase mentoring in our community. uncertainty, it was also a year that validated the critical role mentorship plays in our community. In the pages of this report, we detail our overall performance for the year and the impact of our mentoring programs. This In the midst of economic turmoil, it became clear to us how work could not have been achieved without the unwavering incredibly fortunate we are to have the family of steadfast commitment of our BBBS staff team, our dedicated and founders, partners and community alliances that we do to draw visionary Board of Directors, and the heart of BBBS – our upon for support and resolve. These individuals and groups volunteers who provide their ongoing friendship to our young have been right there with us offering their encouragement and people through mentoring relationships. resources along the way – they are a testament to the strength of our foundation and to the importance of our vision and mission. Thank you to our donors who wholeheartedly believe in BBBS – none of this would be possible without you. We are privileged Because of the fortitude of our stakeholders we continued to to be able to pursue our shared vision for our young people on grow and achieve major milestones in 2008-2009. One such your behalf. milestone was Alberta Mentor Foundation for Youth (AMFY) merging its school-based youth mentoring program with BBBS, When all of the young people in our community have the benefit creating the mPower Youth Mentoring program. We extend a of pairing up in a positive mentoring relationship this is when we heartfelt thank you to our Board of Directors, school partners, will realize true societal impact. And that’s what we’re all about. volunteers, donors and staff, all of whom had the vision and determination to ensure that our young people were at the forefront of this success. Sharon Moore Another milestone was our expansion into Airdrie, Cochrane and Executive Director High River. With the growth of our Between Generations program into High River and the mPower program being offered in Airdrie and Cochrane, we now truly do serve “Calgary and Area”. Pat Cochrane A significant highlight of the year was our ongoing involvement President in several community collaborations, most especially our leadership role in two key initiatives: Alberta Mentoring Partnership (AMP) and Kafé 12. September 2009 2 4 6 8 9 12 13 14 15 16 17 brittany and dana cody and ryan samson and judy overview programs & services bbbs acknowledgments and milestones revenue & expense summary fundraising and volunteer recruitment activities and recognition donors board of directors and founders community and school collaborators impact The transformational growth we see in our young people – enhanced self-esteem, improved value of education, and hope for the future – this is the impact we are having through the power of mentorship! In 2008-2009, our 1,308 volunteer mentors gave more than 91,000 hours of their time to our community’s children and youth. This equals more than 10 years of cumulative volunteer service given in just one year! Our impact is demonstrated by the increased number of young people we serve each year, the smiles on our children’s and youth’s faces, the life-long friendships formed, and the thousands of lives that are changed through mentorship in a positive and everlasting way. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 mPower youth mentoring program “ mPower Youth Mentoring is a program about listening, talking, and connecting between volunteer mentors that are 20 years and older and middle, junior, and senior high school students in Calgary, Airdrie, Cochrane and surrounding areas who are 12 to 18 years old. For one hour a week, with the wind in their hair and a swing beneath them, Brittany and her mentor, Dana, swing higher while chatting about family, friends, and school. Dana, a Development Engineer, thinks back to the day she met Brittany for the first time and how nervous she was. “I was scared she wouldn’t think I was cool enough!” Three years later, the pair couldn’t be happier with the strong friendship they have formed and the lasting impact they have made on each other. “Dana makes me feel like a better person,” says grade seven Brittany who has noticed that being matched with Dana has greatly increased her confidence. Dana has also observed changes in herself since becoming a mentor in our mPower Youth Mentoring program. “Young people know and understand a lot more than we give them I’m so happy to have a mentor, and a friend, who I can talk to about anything and everything! – mentee brittany credit for and realizing that made me feel a stronger need to lead by example.” Dana is proud of Brittany’s many improvements, and sees her growing into a mature, successful young woman. “ Both girls smile and laugh when talking about their fondest memory together which involves Brittany imitating a gorilla at our Year End Celebration at the Calgary Zoo. Dana appreciates how in just one hour a week they can share and learn so much together. “We generate a lot of positive energy together and talking with her calms me down and relieves me from my stress,” says Dana. Brittany comments saying, “I’m so happy to have a mentor, and a friend, who I i can talk to about anything and everything.” mentor dana mentee brittany mPower mPower 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 recreation mentoring program He never backs“ Recreation Mentoring is mentorship in motion! down from anything Volunteers are matched with young people and I look up to him 6 to 18 years of age, meeting two to four “ hours a week for a minimum of one year. for that. The participants spend quality one-to-one – mentor ryan time having fun through sports and recreation activities at various YMCA Calgary branches or Canada Olympic Park (COP). m Activities such as snowboarding, rock climbing, mountain biking and hockey will put a smile on any young boy’s face, especially mentee Cody. Matched three years ago in our Recreation Mentoring program, twelve year old Cody and his mentor, Ryan, are lucky enough to do such activities every week. Our Recreation Mentoring program, at Canada Olympic Park (COP), combines mentorship with participating in various year-round activities. The pair has created many fond memories with each other throughout the seasons. “I saw Cody take his first jump snowboarding on the slopes. He was super stoked,” says Ryan. Cody speaks very highly of Ryan, referring to him as the big brother he never had. “He’s really active like me,” says Cody, “and he makes me laugh. I love hanging out with him.” On top of the great fun they have, Ryan greatly appreciates not only the physical skills the pair has achieved together, but also the life skills.