On Wednesday, Niagara area MPPs joined Big Brothers Big Sisters of Niagara staff, volunteers and funders at Queen’s Landing for a Volunteer and Funder Recognition Night to recognize the hard work, dedication and generosity of volunteers and funders. The event also celebrated $110,300 in funding received through two Resilient Communities Fund grants from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, which provided critical support to help the organization rebuild after the pandemic. 

Before the amalgamation, OTF Resilient Communities Fund grants supported both BBBS agencies in Niagara to help rebuild and recover from the impacts of COVID-19. Specifically, Big Brothers Big Sisters of North and West Niagara (BBBSNWN) received a $52,000 Resilient Communities Fund grant in spring 2022 to hire a Family Intake and Support Coordinator to support the increased needs of vulnerable families, children and youth. 

Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Central Niagara (BBBSSCN) also received a $58,300 Resilient Communities Fund grant in spring 2022 to hire a consultant to research and develop new, sustainable fundraising models, while increasing staff engagement. 

Both of these grants were critical to help the agencies rebuild after the pandemic. This support has been an important enabler to allow the two agencies to begin the process of amalgamating to become Big Brothers Big Sisters of Niagara. 

About Big Brothers Big Sisters of Niagara

For 85 years, Big Brothers Big Sisters has been making a meaningful difference in the lives of youth ages 6 to 18 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/ . 

The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF), an agency of the Government of Ontario, and one of Canada’s leading granting foundations celebrates 40 years of grantmaking in Ontario and making a lasting impact in communities. Last year, OTF invested nearly $209M into 2,042 community projects and partnerships, which included funding for the Government of Ontario’s Community Building Fund. Visit otf.ca to learn more.