| | | | | | | | January 2021 Hello Friends, Happy New Year! The team here at Big Brothers Big Sisters is so excited to begin a new chapter. Like many others, we feel the sense of renewed optimism and hope that comes with a new year. Although we are still navigating the pandemic, we feel invigorated by our Littles, Bigs, and family of friends who stood by us in 2020 and choose to continue to support the important work at BBBS. We look forward to continue to create new mentoring matches while sustaining the current matches. We are collaborating with community partners, funders, and volunteers to ensure that our agency not only survives this pandemic, but, comes out stronger. We hope you enjoy reading about our Match Spotlight and Program Highlight below. Thank you for taking the time to read our January newsletter and for standing with us to defend the potential of over 1,000 children! Warm Regards,
The Team at Big Brothers Big Sisters | | | | | | | |  | Jeffrey Serrano Sanchez is a Senior at Waltham High School and part of the Mazie Mentoring Program, our program available to high school students in Waltham, Framingham, and Marlborough. Jeffrey and his mentor, David, have been matched since Jeffrey's Sophomore year in 2018. We are so incredibly proud of Jeffrey's accomplishments, read below to learn why: "Hi, my name Jeffrey Serrano Sanchez. These past few years, I was matched with my mentor named David. He was a big help in my college search process. Bringing me to college visits and helping me keep motivated everyday. His check-ins mean a lot. Keeping me in check and making sure I got the best of grades. When I started my college process on my own, I had no confidence that I would get into any college. Then a couple weeks later I got accepted to four colleges! I was accepted to Lasell University, Merrimack College, Framingham State University, and Bridgewater State University. My dream job is becoming a history teacher. It’s always been a passion for me to help kids. So when I pick a school, I’ll be going for a degree in secondary education and hope that I can survive it.” - Jeffrey Serrano Sanchez, Mentee in the Maziee Mentoring Program and Waltham High School Senior | | | | | | | |  | January is National Mentoring Month and Big Brothers Big Sisters is celebrating the greatness that is ignited by mentorship! All month long, we will be celebrating by sharing images on social media and thanking our Bigs. We hope to inspire others to become a mentor themselves! Follow along at our social media channels below. Join in and share our posts to your own followers! Be sure to tag us and use #NationalMentoringMonth and #BBBS! | | | | | |  | The Mazie Mentoring Program kicked off the New Year with a Zoom Trivia Night on January 5th. The trivia night, hosted by the Mazie program staff was a big hit with our matches! It was great to see some matches, albeit virtually, and look forward to watching these remarkable students grow in the new year. If you're interested in learning more about the Mazie Mentoring Program, please email mazie@bbbscm.org. | | About the Mazie Mentoring Program The Mazie Mentoring Program matches at-risk high school students in Framingham, Waltham, and Marlborough with dedicated adult mentors for their Sophomore through Senior years of high school. Its objective is to provide young people with the support to help them achieve their goals and succeed. Since its foundation in 1998, the program has served 1,000 students. Created to honor the legacy of John Andrew Mazie, the program is in its 22nd year of operation. Since 2017, the program has been operated by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Mass & MetroWest. | | | | | |  | Go BIG for Kids' SakeJanuary 1-February 21, 2021 Go Big for Kids' Sake is a fun and easy way for you and your company, friends, or family to support the life-changing work of Big Brothers Big Sisters. Get a team of five or more together and GO BIG! You could walk around your neighborhood, do a Zoom trivia night or head to the bowling alley - whatever you choose to have fun and raise funds for kids! The perfect way to celebrate National Mentoring Month! Each team should raise $500 or $100 per team member and there will be prizes for the top 3 fundraising teams! Register here! | | | | | | | | Stand With Us Today to Defend Potential When children and teens have the influence of a caring adult, they are more likely to avoid risky behaviors and to focus on academics. Today's youth face a variety of challenges, and being matched with a Big Brother or Big Sister can help them navigate these challenges and reach their potential. | | | | | | | | | | | |
