Making a difference in the Westshore
Executive Director Rhonda Brown was invited to share the mission of Big Brothers Big Sisters with 100 Women Who Care Westshore at their first in-person meeting in over two years.
100 Women Who Care Westshore brings together 100+ women to make a positive impact on our community by contributing to local causes. The group of passionate and community-oriented women donates over $40,000 each year to organizations which improve the lives of their Westshore neighbours.
The women raised over $4,000 to support our mentoring programs. This generous donation will enable us to support even more youth in the Westshore community. For these young people, these mentoring relationships are not just nice to have – they are a necessity. The simple act of caring about a young person within a one-to-one relationship, thereby increasing their social emotional competency, is proof positive that intentional and supportive relationships are a critical intervention for young people facing adversities.
Mentoring programs are in high demand for Westshore youth
Rhonda spoke to the women about the 94 children Big Brothers Big Sisters has mentored in the Westshore over the past year. She also shared that 35 Westshore children are still on our waitlist in urgent need of a supportive mentoring relationship.
So many children in our community are struggling with circumstances like unstable living conditions, disruptions in learning, conflict in the home and mental health risk factors that can cause long-term toxic stress. This stress negatively impacts healthy development, limiting the child’s future experiences and opportunities.
Our programs are in high demand in Westshore schools: our young mentees attend 19 different schools in the community. As the Westshore area continues to grow, so does the need for mentoring services available to children and youth.
Developmental mentoring relationships help young people to discover who they are, develop abilities to shape their own lives, and learn how to engage with and contribute to the world. Our mentors let the children know that they care about them, they challenge their growth, provide them with support, share power with them and expand their possibilities. These positive and nurturing relationships are essential to a young person’s growth and learning.
Learn more about our mentoring programs available in the Westshore
“Sharing the story of Big Brothers Big Sisters was a privilege in front of such a caring audience. Thank you to everyone for making Big Brothers Big Sisters your charity of choice. The $4000 you so generously donated will benefit children and youth in the Westshore who need the support of a mentor.” -Rhonda Brown, Executive Director
Each $1 investment in Big Brothers Big Sisters programs is returned as up to $23 to our community by supporting better outcomes for mentored young people. When young people facing adversities are matched with a mentor, their risk factors are decreased and their future is brighter.
What’s more, young people with access to a developmental mentoring relationship have higher levels of self esteem, stronger social coping skills, increased pro-social behavior and fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression. They feel more confident and are able to realize their full potential.
In addition to career achievement, mentored youth are more likely to volunteer and give back to their community. By coming together as neighbours to show up for the children and youth in our community, we are directly investing in our future by building a successful, happy and healthy Westshore.
Learn more about 100 Women Who Care Westshore
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Victoria Capital Region recognizes and respects the Lək̓ʷəŋən (Esquimalt and Songhees), Pacheedaht, Scia’new, T’Sou-ke and W̱SÁNEĆ (Malahat, Pauquachin, Tsartlip, Tsawout, Tseycum) people, whose traditional territories we live, work and play upon each day.
