Big Blog

Meet Girl on the Rise: Jaleeyah

New Faces at BBBSKC

BBBSKC is having one of the best years in our history and as a result we are continuing to grow rapidly.  In the last 2 weeks, we've been able to add 5 new full time staff members to our team.  We're so excited about each and every one of them and we want you to learn more about our incredible new staff.  Take a minute to read all about them in their profiles below.   

How Mentoring Impacts Kansas City

Kansas City is enjoying a well-deserved moment in the sun. People across America are realizing what Kansas Citians have known for a long time about our hometown. One of the unsung assets of our community is the compassion our residents have for others. This is illustrated through charitable giving, friendly neighborhoods, and, for our purposes today, Kansas City’s role as the mentoring capital of America.

6 Easy Ways to Help BBBSKC

If you are a follower of Big Brothers Big Sisters, you probably know that our two biggest needs are 1) Bigs and 2) Donations. There’s no way of getting around the fact that in order to match more kids with mentors we need caring, adult volunteers that are willing to spend their time with a child in a life-changing friendship.  There’s currently 417 boys and girls in Kansas City that are waiting for a Big.

Making a Match: Finding the Right Fit Between a Big and Little

The right mentoring relationship can help youth to identify their strengths, boost their self-confidence, persevere through life’s challenges, and reach their full potential. I think I can speak on behalf of the program team and say that making a match is the highlight of the Case Manager’s role, after all, it’s what we’re here to do--to create life-changing friendships. As such, making the right match takes time and thoughtfulness. Case managers are trained not to make a match just for the sake of making a match, but rather to make a match that will endure.

Women on the Rise

Last week, a very cool thing happened at the BBBSKC office. A group of our Big Sister/Little Sister matches gathered to talk about goals and how to reach them. But the conversation was much more than that. We talked about real life, about struggles we all face and how hard it can be to know which path to success we want to go down. We talked about ways to frame your future and how not to get caught up in the drama that can arise. We talked about ways to get ahead in life and how to remain true to yourself on your path to success.

Bowl for Kids’ Sake - Breaking Records for Brighter Futures

Well BBBS fans, another record breaking Bowl for Kids’ Sake is in the books and I couldn’t be more thrilled to announce that our 447 teams raised an astounding $826,928 (and counting) for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Kansas City. This incredible group blew past our $800,000 goal! Bowl for Kids’ Sake is such a special event because its success is truly driven by our participants and supporters.

Jesse Sendejas, MO Big Sister of the Year, reflects on her 10 year Match

It’s hard to believe that 10 years have passed since I first became introduced to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Kansas City and was matched with Jasmine. I didn’t know much about the agency at the time, but after attending an introductory event I knew I wanted to be involved. After securing a permanent job, I had decided it was time for me to give back to the Kansas City Community. I always knew mentoring kids to help them see their potential was something I wanted to focus on and BBBS was just what I was looking for. In July of 2007, Jasmine and I were matched.  She was 9 years old and very shy and sweet. It took time for us to get to know each other and for her to open up to me.

How BBBSKC is helping students reach their potential through the ACES program

The ACES program applies to matches with students in 8th grade through college, focusing on college and career planning. It provides additional academic and goal-setting support to students as they navigate decisions in their post-secondary journey.

The Big Corporate Club

In 2012, former Board Member Ryan Rink and Micheal Lawrence met to discuss different ways Ryan could help support BBBSKC. Earlier that year, the agency had been awarded the Chiefs Charity Game and Ryan had joined the fundraising committee for the event. He thought it would be simple to go out and get a couple of $50,000 sponsors and be the rock star of the committee. He quickly found out that is easier said than done, hence the impromptu meeting with Micheal. Over the course of this meeting (and a couple of beers), the Big Corporate Club was formed, originally to raise funds for the Chiefs Charity Game benefitting Big Brothers Big Sisters.  Today, the group has evolved from supporting this three-year event to supporting the agency year round.