A Message from Big Brothers Big Sisters of Erie, Niagara and the Southern Tier

We are excited to announce that we have a monthly blog on the Good Neighborhood. Based in Buffalo, New York, The Good Neighborhood is all about community. Daily you can get an online dose of good news and information about upcoming events around town that usually have a local cause associated with them. The Big Brothers Big Sisters blog will appear the last Friday of every month and features agency news updates and inspiring stories about our matches. To visit the Good Neighborhood and read our most current blog click here To get minute to minute updates from the Good ‘hood, get social with them at: https://www.facebook.com/thegoodneighborhood

With the generous support of our community, the lives of over 400 children were impacted by a Big Brother or Big Sister in 2016. It is our pleasure to share with you our Annual Report that includes: A Special Story about a 10-Year Friendship Update on our expanding High School Bigs Mentoring Program Recap of our Special Events 2016 Financial Statement January 2016 – December 2016 Program Outcomes Click now to read the above stories and more in our Annual Report. As always, a BIG thank you for joining us in making a BIG difference in the lives of children!

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Erie County and Media Sponsor, Kiss 98.5 are excited to honor Amber Small as this week’s Women Who Move the City Wednesday Honoree! Amber serves as the Executive Director of the Parkside Community Association (PCA). In this role she is an advocate for 2,500 residents, working to enhance their quality of life through crime prevention, traffic calming, fair housing advocacy and more. Amber happily shares that she could not have asked for a better job because everyday she gets to go to work and help her neighbors. Amber and her significant other, Matthew Pelkey, even recently purchased a home in the neighborhood because of the strong sense of community! Outside of her work with the PCA, Amber serves on the…

As leaders who are committed to equity and justice, as mission-focused organizations who are stewards of the public trust, and as a nonprofit sector with far-reaching impact on the national economy, the undersigned are committed to advancing racial justice and equity in all areas of civic and community life.

The BIG Give is YOUR chance to make a BIG difference in the lives of children!  Your donation to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Erie County will help provide children facing adversity with caring adult mentors to give them a chance to reach their full potential.  Between now and December 31, help us raise $10,000 to support our one-to-one mentoring programs by giving to one of our BIG Give Fundraisers or our General Big Give Page. Click here to give today. Thanks!

We are excited to announce that the video submitted by Big Sister, Emily Felmet, that was a finalist in First Niagara’s 2016 Mentoring Matters Grant Giveaway Contest. won the top prize of  $10,000! Thank you to all who voted and shared the contest with friends, family and colleagues through Facebook and to First Niagara for this wonderful opportunity.  A BIG thank you to Big Sister Emily & Little Sister Quinn who shared their 5+ year friendship with the community to make this all possible. To view the final results click here.  To view the video, created by Odessa Pictures, click here.