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Big Brothers Big Sisters of Erie County (BBBSEC) teamed up with the five local Kohl’s Department Stores for Kohl’s National Go Green Event (NGG) in celebration of National Volunteer Week and Earth Day. On Sunday, May 1st, more than 40 Kohl’s associates participated in a one-day volunteer project at The Belle Center located on Buffalo’s Lower West Side.  The Kohl’s associates spread soil, planted bushes and flowers at the center.  Several BBBS staff and a Big Brother & Little Brother match joined the effort. Following their hard work, the group enjoyed lunch and the opportunity to view the changes they made to the outside appearance of the center.  A grant will be awarded to BBBSEC’s Site-Based Mentoring Program located at The Belle Center  in recognition…

Our Bigs & Littles enjoyed a fun night of roller skating to some cool tunes at Depew Skating Center. Some of our Bigs & Littles were seasoned skaters, while several put on skates or roller blades for the first time ever! It was wonderful to see our matches work together to help those new to skating make it around the rink. In some cases, our Littles were a BIG help in keeping their Bigs staying upright! Of course, there were a few fancy skating moves, a few spills and lots of laughs! All would agree it was a great night full of fun and memories!

Over 50 Big Brothers and Big Sisters and their Littles celebrated National Thank Your Mentor Day at a dinner, craft and activity night held at the Niagara Frontier American Legion Post. As matches arrived, they had their photos taken and printed. The pictures were then put into frames that our Little Brothers and Sisters created that night as a thank you gift for their mentor. Additionally, our matches enjoyed a terrific dinner by Mr. G’s catering and playing games. Again, a special thanks to all of our Bigs for making a difference and helping the kids in our program reach their full potential!

We recently received a grant through the Kelly for Kids Foundation. Founded by former Buffalo Bills Quarterback Jim Kelly, the foundation helps to improve the quality of life for disabled and disadvantaged children in Western New York. The grant will support our Site-Based Mentoring program that pairs youth with a Big Brother or Big Sister to share a friendship and participate in educational, recreational and cultural activities at a local school or community center. During the grant presentation Mr. Kelly mentioned the importance a special friend and mentor can have in a child’s life. He also recognized Kelly for Kids Foundation employee Patricia Cavalier for serving as a volunteer Big Sister. Big Brothers Big Sisters extends its gratitude to Jim Kelly and the Kelly for…