Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Midlands: Response to COVID-19

Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Midlands is committed to fostering and developing an equitable, dynamic and healthy community where all young people can thrive. Our mission is to empower the potential of youth through one-to-one mentoring relationships. Obviously, the foundation of mentoring relies on interactions and proximity, and we are thinking deeply about how the COVID-19 pandemic affects our work and relationships. We feel it is important to share our approach as an agency to ensure the safety of our Littles, Bigs, parents, guardians and our entire community. We recognize the people most likely to be affected are vulnerable - whether they are refugees, have experience within the juvenile justice system, youth living in poverty or live in multi-generational homes. Many of the constituents in our program fall into those demographics. During this public health crisis, it is our responsibility to put the safety and health of our community at the forefront of our work. 

We have implemented the following changes to our programming and operations, informed by latest recommendations by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the City of Omaha. We will continue to share updates on our website and social media as the situation changes:  

• The Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Midlands office building is closed until further notice, all staff is working remotely. 
• The in-person Big Basketball Bash fundraiser is canceled, but the agency will host a virtual event experience for the community to participate in. 
• We have suspended all match outings until further notice. Mentoring matches are encouraged to continue speaking on the phone or through other forms of technology. Match Support Specialists will continue to support active matches as usual through phone communication.
• We still need new volunteer mentors. New volunteers will be screened, trained and interviewed online.  

BBBSM is committed to serving our community despite the significant roadblocks that social distancing presents. Many have reached out and asked how you can help our Bigs, Littles, and families during this challenging time.

Along with most nonprofits and small businesses, we expect the COVID-19 pandemic will significantly decrease our revenue. Monetary donations are the best way to help Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Midlands right now. Donations will be used to provide mentoring services to our youth and families as well as support general operations (staff, technology, etc.). Additionally, we are turning the Big Basketball Bash into a virtual event and working to reschedule several fundraising initiatives. There will be a silent auction that will go live on Monday, March 23rd and will run through Saturday, March 28th at 12 pm. On the day in which the in-person event was to be held, and immediately following the close of the silent auction, our community will come together to help the agency raise $25,000 in one day! Follow Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Midlands on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn to learn more. Click here to make a donation to support our work now.
 

Again, we are still looking for new volunteer mentors. With a waitlist of over 120+, recruiting new mentors is as important as ever. New volunteer mentors will be screened, trained, and interviewed online. Click here for more information and to sign up. Or share this email with your network and encourage them to sign up.

We are stronger together. Let’s continue to support each other and our fellow community members as we navigate these uncertain times. We wish you all good health and look forward to seeing you soon. 

Sincerely, 
Nichole M. Turgeon
President & CEO, Big Sister and Donor