Big Brothers Big Sisters Columbia Northwest

Big Brothers Big Sisters Columbia Northwest was recognized this week as a Platinum Award Winner for program excellence in 2023! Every year Big Brothers Big Sisters of America recognizes agencies for their remarkable achievements in retaining the number of mentors and youth matched through their programs and exhibiting exceptional growth in their local areas. Out of more than 230 agencies across the country, we are proud to be one of 51 organizations to receive this top honor. We want to thank all of our staff, our Boards, parents and guardians, Bigs, and Littles for helping BBBS Columbia NW strive for our full potential. We couldn't have achieved this without you!

Ulta Beauty Charitable Foundation is teaming up with Big Brothers Big Sisters of America to support the well-being of youth across the country! Now through June 15, when you shop in-store at Ulta Beauty, you can donate to help support the youth at your local Big Brothers Big Sisters affiliate. Together, #ultabeauty and BBBS are prioritizing mental health and nurturing meaningful connections for youth. Get to Ulta Beauty and donate to support kids in your community! 💚

It is week 3 of our Erase the Wait campaign and we're making great progress at getting more children off the waitlist each week! However, we need to accelerate our efforts to reach our goal of recruiting 60 more Bigs this year. 💚 With summer break approaching, the best time to become a Big is now! we have a variety of FREE events lined up for you and a Little to enjoy all summer long.☀️ We provide our Bigs with plenty of fun ideas, activities, and events to create bonding experiences ensuring each relationship is enriched with meaningful and enjoyable moments. Whether it’s attending Blazers games, kayaking, or engaging in interactive art experiences, we’ve got you covered.💪 #bebig #itsbigtime #mentorsmatter Join the fun and become a Big today! - https://lnkd.in/eiYqDvFn

A BIG congratulations to our incredible Littles who won scholarships through the NAACP ACT-SO competition and will represent our partners at NAACP Vancouver at the National Conference in July! Your hard work, talent, and dedication has truly paid off, and we're so proud of all you've accomplished.🥇 The NAACP ACT-SO (Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics) is a youth program promoting academic and cultural excellence among African American high school students through competitions in STEM, humanities, business, and the arts. Students who win in their local competitions have the opportunity to move on to Nationals where they will compete with students from all over the country! We are excited to celebrate their outstanding achievements and continue to support and uplift our young scholars as they pursue their dreams. Good luck at Nationals! 📚✨#mentorsmatter #actso #bebig

We would like to introduce our newest member to our Board, Grant Engrav! Grant is a litigator at Engrav Law Office LLP, where he and his colleagues handle complicated cases involving healthcare, financial, or employment compensation arrangements. He enjoys the opportunity to deep dive into a client's story, work closely with them, and show the jury a clear picture of what happened. But, before honing his skills in the courtroom, he served as a Big Brother to a Little named Eoin. "I joined Big Brothers Big Sisters right out of law school at a time when I was taking myself way too seriously. It’s debatable whether I learned more from Eoin about life and relationships than he did from me. Watching him grow and forming a trusting bond with him is one of the things in life I am most proud of, and I’m hoping to share that message with others." If you attended the Big Futures Luncheon, you were lucky enough to hear both Eoin and Grant reflect on what their relationship has meant to each other and the profound influence it has had on shaping their lives. We are incredibly proud to have Grant representing BBBS Columbia NW on our Board and sharing the power of mentoring in our community. #newboardmember #mentoringmatters #itsbigtime  

Together, we launched Potential at the Big Futures Luncheon! Guests from all different sectors of business came together to network, listen and brainstorm the ways they could make an impact- and make an impact they did! Attendees raised over $50,000 for BBBS Columbia NW all while building incredible connections that, much like our matches, we hope will last a lifetime. Thank you to all of our sponsors for believing in us as we dreamt up this new event, to our guests for being brave and engaging in creative ways, and to our Bigs & Littles for sharing their stories of why mentorship makes a difference. Onwards and upwards! #bebig #bigfuturesbbbs2024 #mentorsmatter Thank you to Tom Cook Photo for capturing the spirit and essence of the event - check out the photos in the link! - https://lnkd.in/gCewgA2S

We are thrilled to announce our "Erase the Wait" campaign to recruit 60 more Bigs in 2024 and reach our goal of 100! Our waitlist for Littles has grown exponentially, and we are in need of Bigs to help youth off the waitlist and onto new adventures and connections! We are especially in need of Big Brothers! Little Brothers remain on our waitlist five times longer than their female counterparts due to the lack of male volunteers. This wait can be months to years long. You can help! Even if you don't have time to be a Big, share our posts, talk to your friends, or reach out to a family member who would be a great mentor to a youth seeking support. We will share waitlist updates on our social media, follow along to watch us "Erase the Wait" for Littles in the Portland/Metro area. #erasethewaitpdx #mentorsmatter #itsbigtime Become a Big Today! -https://lnkd.in/eiYqDvFn

BBBS Columbia NW would like to thank our partner OnPoint Community Credit Union for including us in its first Volunteer Fair! The engagement and enthusiasm of the OnPoint employees and other non-profit organizers made the event a true success. #communitymatters #itsbigtime #bebig

Thank you AVENUE PORTLAND for helping our event run smoothly and giving our mission a shoutout! Your staff from beginning to end were a joy to work with and we are looking forward to next year. #bebig #avenueportland #bigfuturesbbbs2024

One of the highlights of the Big Futures Luncheon was hearing from current and former Littles and Bigs in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. Each one was coached by the amazing Cathey Armillas! Cathey is an author, speaker and marketing strategist who is also a former Big Sister. Her expertise in coaching TEDx speakers helped prepare our Littles to share their stories of how they found, developed, and launched their potential with support from their BBBS mentor with grace and ease! Thanks Cathey for all you do for Big Brothers Big Sisters! #nationalvolunteerweek #mentoringmatters #bigfuturesbbbs2024 #flashbackfriday