For more than a decade, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America has been proud to partner with Comcast NBCUniversal to defend the potential of youth across the country. Never has both the strength and significance of our relationship been more evident than during the global crisis we are experiencing. Putting innovative, strategic thinking into action, Comcast NBCUniversal has helped Big Brothers Big Sisters continue to provide for our students during these most challenging times.

“Beyond School Walls,” the workplace mentoring program that matches Comcast “Bigs” with “Littles” at 14 corporate and regional offices nationwide, faced a significant threat when COVID-19 forced companies to work from home. Instead of closing its doors on the program that gives “Littles” access to a professional work environment, Comcast assessed what WAS possible and pivoted support. For instance, each Beyond School Walls location has a meal stipend fund. Without meeting in person, hundreds of students would not have access to this food, and their families might not have the basics at home. Comcast shifted the stipends to pay for grocery gift cards, allowing Big Brothers Big Sisters staff members to create care packages for families who may have otherwise gone without.

In addition to food, the pandemic challenged access to the internet, which in turn can prevent youth from continuing their education. When schools and libraries closed in March, many “Littles” did not have a way to connect. Many families, however, were able to take advantage of Comcast’s Internet Essentials, a program that provides low-cost, high-speed internet at home – proving to be vital for schooling now that virtual learning is the new normal. And, thanks to a donation from Comcast earlier this year of more than 360 iPads – one to each “Little” in the Beyond School Walls programs – the students not only had a device to use for learning, they also had a lifeline to stay connected to their “Bigs,” providing emotional support and preventing social isolation.

As Comcast’s partnership is engrained in our programs across the board, their commitment to helping us thrive this year touched additional initiatives, including:

• The pandemic also accelerated the need for the platform, which has been part of a multi-year strategic plan for Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. What would have taken a year to build was finalized in three months, thanks to the support of several corporate partners. Agencies now have a mobile solution to safely keep kids connected, and the funding from Comcast also provided networkwide training, staff onboarding, and change management programs for the platform.
• : This year’s BBBSA National Conference shifted to a virtual event, but the impact was just as powerful with nearly 3,000 staff, board members, and Bigs attending sessions over a two-week period. Dalila Wilson-Scott, Senior Vice President of Community Impact for Comcast Corporation and President of the Comcast NBCUniversal Foundation, was featured as an expert panelist for our ‘Corporate Response to Crisis’ webinar. She spoke about the need for mentorship during these unprecedented times and gave agencies advice on how best to work with their partners.
• Through airing a 30-second PSA, Comcast raised awareness about the impact of Big Brothers Big Sisters with more than 47,000 views, helping to share the importance of the mentoring program with audiences across the country.

While there is still much uncertainty in the world ahead, the events of this past year showcase how the strength of the long-lasting partnership between Comcast NBCUniversal and Big Brothers Big Sisters of America truly is ‘Bigger Together’.

The 2020 Federated Challenge® raised a record-breaking $3,087,000 for Big Brothers Big Sisters, during its first-ever virtual gala on Sunday, July 26. Even during this unprecedented time in history, a record 61 prominent businesses and more than 500 attendees logged on to their computers and mobile devices to support youth mentoring in Minnesota and throughout America.

“We knew in our hearts that canceling this year’s event was not an option,” said Federated Insurance Chairman and CEO Jeff Fetters. “And that decision became more significant this year than ever before, as many kids have been patiently waiting to be matched with a Big. Sunday’s event set that in motion – opening the door to create strong bonds and long-lasting friendships.”

One hundred percent of the money raised will be donated to Minnesota’s three Big Brothers Big Sisters agencies and Big Brothers Big Sisters of America®. These organizations are creating powerful one-to-one mentoring relationships between adult volunteers (“Bigs”) and children (“Littles”). A portion of the donations are earmarked for the Federated Challenge Scholarship Program, which provides up to $5,000 per year to qualified Littles or high school Bigs enrolled in a non-four-year program focusing on apprenticeship, certificate, trade school, technical, or community college. Since the program’s inception close to 100 students have benefited from the scholarship fund and are earning job-ready training degrees with little to no debt.

“Remarkable times call for remarkable people, and our generous Federated Challenge corporate sponsors and individual donors have answered that call,” said Fetters. “We may have been apart, but we still came together to help Big Brothers Big Sisters matches ignite potential.”

The virtual gala – hosted by Co-chairs Jeff and Marty Fetters – featured WCCO veteran broadcaster Dave Lee. The event included special messages from members of the Minnesota Gophers athletic department, Minnesota United Football Club, and Minnesota Timberwolves. Guests also heard powerful mentoring success stories from Big Don MacPherson, Little Shakeel Nelson, and Little Isaih Handy.  

 “Collectively, the funds we raised during this event will directly support countless young people,” added Fetters. “The Federated Challenge continues to be a first-class event, whether it’s held in person or virtually. Most importantly, it continues to rally people around a cause that empowers youth and strengthens communities. Big Brothers Big Sisters’ mission is one we proudly stand behind.”

The Federated Challenge was founded in 2004 as a two-day fund-raising event hosted by Federated Insurance, a commercial insurance company headquartered in Owatonna, Minnesota. Now in its sixteenth year, this event has raised more than $41 million for youth mentoring programs.

America is losing its most precious resource, its heart. Can we find it in time to save ourselves? Or is it simply just too late?

We, the collective “America,” are dying. There are no vaccines; no doctors; no equipment to save us. Instead, America needs to find its heart to heal itself and must do it soon.

No city in America is immune from the hate or from the violence that often follows it. Friday evening, even in Atlanta, known as the “City Too Busy to Hate,” violence erupted. What has occurred in Atlanta during the past couple of days is a tragedy beyond comprehension. It is a reaction to injustice, but injustice can’t be solved by more injustice. Violence is not the answer. The core of the problem runs too deep.

As an American, as a Black American, and as a successful Black American, writing this hurts.

Hatred has infected America’s heart. And the hate is spreading into our intellect, our economies, our politics. The result of this disease: The death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, the shooting death of an unarmed jogger in Brunswick, the false accusations against a black birdwatcher in Central Park. Elsewhere, a white youth pastor claimed he was kidnapped by black men to cover up why he was in a hotel. In another place, a woman in Florida claimed two black men abducted her autistic son only to have her now charged with murdering her own child.

We know the names of the black men and women hurt or killed in racially charged incidents – those who have made it into the news:

George Floyd, Rodney King, Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery.

Are we angry enough to relentlessly search for a cure? You don’t have to have a specific level of melanin in your DNA to be immune. This disease, the loss of America’s heart, will prove to be the downfall of us all.

Should we blame the justice system? Is it just about race? Is it bigotry that has been growing unchecked? This is a far deeper malady. It’s a hatred so deeply rooted that it has taken over our identity as a society. It is a disease so insidious that it rots all it touches and then hides behind single incidents and behind those of us who have comfortable lives. It’s all connected. We are all connected.

We are the problem. We are also the solution. Hopefully we are not too far into the cesspool of divisiveness and turmoil that we have allowed to grow and swirl around us.

Do we care enough about each other to fix this? To find America’s heart? To save ourselves? Do we understand each other enough to get angry enough to make it stop – for good?

We are liberated, but we are not free. We need to know the difference to make a difference. Do we know who we are? Did we forget our own beliefs of decency and empathy? If we don’t know who we truly are, and we don’t remember what we believe in, we are condemned to keep living this nightmare, no matter our skin color or political ideology.

Can we blame mental illness? The coronavirus? A never-ending news cycle? The economy and other inequality in America?

No doubt, we live in a world of spontaneous news reporting and easy access to an overwhelming amount of information from all types of people with varying beliefs. COVID-19 has added enormous tension to lives. As masses of people are out of work, distrust and anxiety grow and can lead to an increase in our shared societal ills: hunger or drugs, drinking, and violence.

At the deep center of the cesspool, and not to oversimplify the issues at hand, is that we are not willing to put ourselves in the shoes of those who are struggling and then figure out how to do something about those struggles.

We keep at bay those who don’t look like us or run in our circles. We allow our comfortable worlds to continue with as little interference from the discomfort of others as possible.

The time has come to stop. Hatred must stop. Alienation must stop. I am fed up and I hope you are too. Action is not simply writing a check to a diverse cause. Expecting others to move forward, is not action. Change is going to take action from ALL of us.

We must be the agents of change and drum majors for justice.

I have been committed to this cause my entire professional career — committed to creating harmony and understanding among the different individuals I call friends, colleagues, clients, mentors, and even family. I am now going to be more aggressive on this issue. I am committing to creating and executing a comprehensive plan that reaches out to the business and other community leaders, for the sake of Atlanta and beyond.

Some may feel awkward. This may not be in everyone’s comfort zone. It is difficult to come to terms that we are as near death as we can be as a society. Peaceful, intentional, actionable planning and execution is mandatory. Hate and violence are no longer an option. It’s time to stop and realize that we cannot blame others for the problem at hand, if we are unwilling to step into the fray ourselves.

Ernest Greer is co-president of Greenberg Traurig, an international law firm of over 2,200 attorneys. He serves on the boards for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, the Atlanta History Center, Achieve Atlanta, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, and Atlanta Police Foundation.

Read Mr. Greer’s op-ed in the Atlanta-Journal Constitution here: https://www.ajc.com/news/opinion/opinion-america-has-lost-its-heart-and-that-hurts-all/M1enZfmmF29ZpPNyCc0U2H/

Local Leaders Help Create Life-Changing Mentoring Relationships for Children

Big Brothers Big Sisters of America recognized six exceptional local agencies on June 26 during its Annual National Conference, which was held virtually June 15-26.  These agencies have demonstrated outstanding leadership and have increased the number of children served in their communities. Each one has also made key strategic decisions that have resulted in innovation and growth during the past year.

Those selected were recognized for: increasing the number of children served, the quality and length of each mentoring relationship, and increased revenue, all key components needed to ensure agencies can continue help more youth who want—and need—a mentor in their lives.

“Our Network of 240 agencies is strong because of the commitment of the agency leaders, staff and Board members who make it a priority every day to defend the potential of youth across the country,” said Pam Iorio, President and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. “We also applaud these outstanding agencies for their innovation, and their ability to pivot when faced with challenges.”

Agencies of the Year

The winning agencies have focused on growing the number and maintaining the quality of mentoring relationships between caring adult volunteers (called ‘Bigs) and youth (called ‘Littles’).

• Large Agency of the Year: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Massachusetts [Boston, Massachusetts]
• Mid-Large Agency of the Year: Big Brothers Big Sisters of East Tennessee [Knoxville, Tennessee]
• Small-Mid Agency of the Year:  Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northern Sierra [Cameron Park, California]

Robert M. Kommerstad Boards of the Year

By guiding staff and shaping programming, agency boards also have a profound impact on the success of the agencies in their communities.

• Large Agency Kommerstad Board of the Year: Big Brothers Big Sisters Central Carolinas [Charlotte, North Carolina]
• Mid-Large Agency Kommerstad Board of the Year: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast, Indiana [Fort Wayne, Indiana]
• Small Agency Kommerstad Board of the Year: Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Central Indiana [Bloomington, Indiana]

By the age of 10, Little Brother Jaylin endured more pain than any person should have to deal with, coping with the loss of his mother, father and stepfather. Surrounded by the love of his grandmother and three aunts who raised him, they felt the missing piece for Jaylin was having a strong, positive male role model in his life. Big Brother Matt Barnes remembers when he first met Jaylin, the entire family, was there, too. They wanted Matt to know, just how important Jaylin was in their lives.

For Matt, it was an opportunity to give back in a different way. But it’s grown into more than just a volunteer experience, they are truly connected for life. Matt was in the stands watching proudly when Jaylin hit a grand slam; and he’s also been there for Jaylin during the tough times.

Over the past four years, Jaylin and Matt have worked together on goal setting and they’ve had plenty of fun along the way: they compete to win against one another in every sport, whether it’s mini-golf or bowling! Jaylin graduated this year and has an interest in automotive technology.  The future entrepreneur wants to open his own automotive shop, focusing on electric cars.

“I had it hard growing up, but I never used that as a crutch, and found ways to better myself,” said Jaylin. “And Matt has helped me grow as a man, which isn’t easy, especially in the society we live in now. He’s taught me how to speak up, and I thank him for that.”

By nature, Brianna is quiet, but it’s her artwork and smile that light up the room. Brianna’s mother knew her daughter had potential, but in middle school, Brianna would often close herself off, not wanting to talk to anyone. When she met her Big Sister Ashley, they realized they had two main things in common: a love of frozen yogurt and they are not big fans of being outdoors! Even though they started to connect, Ashley knew her Little Sister still had walls up.

What she didn’t know, was that when Brianna’s serious relationship with her girlfriend ended, severe bullying intensified. “I didn’t tell anyone about it, I had never experienced that before,” said Brianna. “I was in a very dark place and didn’t want to be here anymore.”

But it was during her lowest time that Brianna realized that she did have a strong support system in her family—and her Big Sister Ashley—who were there for her, not to judge, but to listen.

The past four years have been a long journey of healing and building trust.  Ashley admires Brianna’s resiliency and courageous spirit. Brianna graduated this year, and hopes to pursue a career in art therapy, to help other young people know, no matter what they’re going through, they’re not alone.

Last week, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and The Pro Football Hall of Fame hosted a town hall with a group of panelists on how to make strides in improving race relations in America.

#HuddleUpAmerica Listen featured guests including Hall of Famers Aeneas Williams and Champ Bailey.

See the full video here!

A message to our Federation from BBBSA President & CEO, Pam Iorio – We can all feel the change, the ground shifting under our feet. Sometimes it takes the luxury of years, of hindsight, and perspective to know when a society has changed. But in the spring of 2020, we can see it happen before our very eyes.   It is change born in 1619 and woven into the history of the United States starting with the atrocities of human rights abuses and slavery.    It is change from the unlawfulness of segregation, racial profiling, wrongful imprisonment, inequitable sentencing practices, and unchecked police brutality that has left millions of Americans living in an unequal and repressive world.    It is change born from the words of civil rights leader Fannie Lou Hamer, who famously said in the 1960s, “I am sick and tired of being sick and tired.”   It was George Floyd’s murder on May 25th, on the heels of the senseless murders of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and before them many others, that finally unleashed what has been building for so long. Systemic racism came into full view for all to see, a seismic moment of clarity.   Almost overnight, Black Lives Matter evolved from a movement to a simple truth that a Black life must be valued equally to all lives. When a Black person is wrongfully targeted and killed at the hands of the police, it must matter as much as any life and we must stand against this injustice. There cannot be two Americas. We must strive to be one equitable, inclusive and just union.   It is our collective honor at this point in our history to be a part of the Big Brothers Big Sisters mission. We are tasked with defending the potential of all young people we serve, our Littles. In 2019, more than 70% of the children we served across the country were children of color.   There have been so many thoughtful writings over the past weeks. One line from Jeannine Gant, our leader from Detroit illuminates our role: “Mentoring helps youth deal with trauma brought on by generations of oppression, solely based on the color of their skin, a dehumanizing construct that reverberates through every fiber of our country.”   At this historic moment, when change can be felt, what actions can Big Brothers Big Sisters take to strengthen and elevate our work with youth? First, we must take every opportunity to denounce racism, bigotry and prejudice. Defending potential means we openly and consistently address the systemic barriers our children of color face. Racism is part of the trauma in many young lives. We must name it and act upon it every single day.   Second, we will create trainings for our volunteer Bigs and our BBBS staff members across the country so they can be best equipped to talk to their Littles about this prevalence of violence and racism. We don’t want to compound trauma in our youth by being ill-equipped or misinformed on how to best support our Littles. Third, this is an opportunity to examine and improve upon our Bigs in Blue/Bigs with Badges program. This program is designed to develop strong one-to-one relationships between police officers and our Littles. The vision of the program is to provide a structure within our mission to help disarm bigotry, racism, and preconceived stereotypes at all levels. It is connecting police officers to the young people they serve, for a better appreciation of communities, families, and the adverse conditions many live with every day. Many of our agencies report very positive results from the dialogue and greater understanding resulting from these matches. Jeri Swinton, our leader from Louisville shared a staff member’s idea that we have a dialogue with our law enforcement partners about policing best practices. There are many ways this important program can be improved and towards that end, we are establishing an agency-led task force to examine and make recommendations on how we can be advocates for change in our local communities and how this program can better serve young people.   Fourth, we must engage in a dialogue with each of our funding partners to ensure that our respective values on racial justice and equity are aligned. We are an inclusive and equitable organization that values everyone from our staff, board members, volunteers, and Littles. Our partners must embrace the differences and the uniqueness of all people who will help support our organization in building bridges and igniting, empowering and defending the potential of the youth we serve. All of us as human beings are works in progress; learning, evolving, and changing. We must leverage this moment in our nation’s history to make progress together.   Finally, the National Office, working with the Nationwide Leadership Council’s (NLC) Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, (DEI) Committee (which comprises 32 members) will continually produce information you can use for your staff, boards, Bigs, Littles and their families, and funders. Under the title, Race, Relationships, & Resources, we will facilitate national conversations to further understanding and actions, and provide quality material and host webinars dedicated to educating our communities about race, as well as provide resources on how to facilitate meaningful reflection, connection, and action to create racial justice. The NLC’s DEI Committee, along with our internal DEI Champions Committee will also begin examining our policies and procedures (hiring and staff retention, background checks, job descriptions) and the Standards of Practice.   This is just the beginning of what Big Brothers Big Sisters can accomplish. The list will expand as all of you, individually and collectively, add to the ideas that can be implemented. “Be the change you want to see in the world.”   From all of this, I have hope. Perhaps it comes from seeing so many young people organizing and engaging in peaceful protests. Young people have always been at the forefront of change. They personify Martin Luther King’s words “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” Today, thousands are rightfully marching and asking for a more loving and equitable America that must immediately reform its social justice institutions. And we must be a part of this change.   As always, it is an honor to work with all of you. We at the National Office hear you and encourage your engagement and voice. We have all been given this opportunity to lead and defend the potential of all youth, and to stand against racism, bigotry and prejudice to help make our country a place where there truly is liberty and justice for all.   Onward,     Pam Iorio President and CEO Big Brothers Big Sisters of America

Earlier today, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America in response to recent events regarding violence against Black Americans, has joined America’s Promise Alliance to unite and call out injustices and the impacts systemic racism and trauma have on young people. The statement is available here – https://www.americaspromise.org/press-release/racial-trauma-and-young-people-why-we-cant-stay-silent

When your mission is to ignite the power and promise of all youth, it is impossible to stand by when appalling acts threaten that promise.

We live in a country torn by our differences.

Big Brothers Big Sisters seeks to bring people together, to value each person and see differences as strengths that make each of us unique.

We live in a country where race and ethnicity have created systemic obstacles for people of color.

Big Brothers Big Sisters seeks to remove obstacles for all young people by connecting them with a mentor, a caring adult who can be in their corner.

We live in a country where intolerable acts by people in authority undermine our fragile social fabric.

Big Brothers Big Sisters seeks to build bridges of understanding. Our Bigs in Blue program seeks to create meaningful relationships between law enforcement and the communities they serve.

Where we see wrong, we must call it out.

Big Brothers Big Sisters will continue to promote love and the value and dignity of every single person.

It is the only way to bring about peaceful, systemic change.

Pam Iorio, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America President and CEO