On Friday, local MPP Wayne Gates and a representative of local MPP Sam Oosterhoff met with the team at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Niagara to recognize a $161,700 Resilient Communities Fund grant from the provincial government’s Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF).
The funds helped the organization recover and build its resilience from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic by supporting staff and resource costs. Thanks to this OTF grant, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Niagara was able to develop and implement a business focused volunteer recruitment and retention strategy to meet increased demand for mentors in the community.
Quotes
“I can’t think of a more deserving agency to receive the Resilient Communities Fund grant than Big Brothers Big Sisters of Niagara. BBBS Niagara makes a crucial difference in the lives of children and youth across the Niagara region. I want to thank Erin, her team, and every single volunteer mentor for the work they do every single day for the community, and I want to thank the OTF for their important partnership to support children & youth in Niagara.”
─Wayne Gates, MPP for Niagara Falls
“I want to congratulate Big Brothers Big Sisters of Niagara as recipients of $161,700 from the Ontario Government through the Ontario Trillium Foundation. This provincial funding recognizes the important efforts of Big Brothers Big Sisters in cultivating community mentorship and healthy relationships across our region and for all young people in Niagara to realize their full potential.
─Sam Oosterhoff, MPP for Niagara West
“I’m thrilled to congratulate Big Brothers Big Sisters Niagara on receiving a $161,700 Resilient Communities Fund grant through the Ontario Trillium Foundation. This investment to support the staff and volunteers will ultimately help to meet the increased demand for their essential programs. With a mission to enable life-changing mentoring relationships that ignite the power and potential of young people, and a vision where all youth realize their full potential, BBBS Niagara is building a brighter future for our entire community.”
─Jennie Stevens, MPP for St. Catharines
“I am very pleased to hear that Big Brothers Big Sisters of Niagara has received a large Ontario Trillium Foundation grant to help its operations fully recover from the pandemic, and to rebuild its volunteer recruitment machine. Volunteers are the backbone of this agency that has been changing outcomes for so many vulnerable kids and their families, through role modelling and mentoring, for the past 88 years.”
─Jeff Burch, MPP for Niagara Centre
“The support from the Ontario Trillium Foundation will have a lasting impact on our agency,” says Erin Graybiel, Executive Director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Niagara. “Since the COVID-19 pandemic we have seen a dramatic decrease in the number of individuals coming forward to be mentoring volunteers. This funding has been critical to expand our recruitment efforts. Big Brothers Big Sisters relies of volunteer mentors to build positive relationships with mentees that enables them to realize and reach their potential.”
─Erin Graybiel, Executive Director, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Niagara
About Big Brothers Big Sisters of Niagara
For 88 years, Big Brothers Big Sisters has been making a meaningful difference in the lives of youth ages 6 to 18, and young parents up to 25 through our mentoring programs in Niagara. For both Big and Little, the mentoring experience becomes a life-changing relationship built on friendship, empowerment, and trust. Support from a caring adult mentor enables youth to experience essential developmental relationships, which help them to develop into healthy young people better able to deal with and overcome life’s adversities. Youth with mentors are more likely to graduate from high school, go to university, secure full-time employment and have on average higher incomes. For more information visit, https://niagara.bigbrothersbigsisters.ca/ .
About the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF)
The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) is an agency of the Ontario government with a mission to build healthy and vibrant communities across the province. Last year, OTF invested nearly $105M into 732 community projects and multi-sector partnerships. Projects aim to enhance economic well-being, foster more active lifestyles, support child and youth development, provide spaces for people to come together and connect, and create a more sustainable environment. Visit otf.ca to learn more.
