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Mentoring is not all fun and games – except when we partner with Chuck E. Cheese’s. Our relationship with one of the country’s most popular pizza arcade venues is helping children across the country, not to mention giving matches something fun to do.

During the September Pin-Up Campaign, Chuck E. Cheese’s raised $117,000, the third campaign to generate a six-figure donation. Chuck E. Cheese’s has also challenged employees at local Chuck E. Cheese’s restaurants to become Bigs. Recently, Pierce Bush, CEO of BBBS Lone Star, spoke at Chuck E. Cheese’s town hall meeting to encourage more employees of Chuck E. Cheese’s corporate office to sign up to be Bigs. On December 15, more than 200 Bigs and Littles in the Dallas area attended holiday celebrations at Chuck E. Cheese’s across the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area.

New York’s Statue of Liberty carries a torch of freedom, and now friends of Big Brothers Big Sisters can also carry a light through a limited-edition jewelry line from ALEX AND ANI. Liberty Copper is the limited edition collection that includes 26 pieces (costume and fine), featuring an exact replica of the Statue of Liberty’s torch, all made with original copper from the monument’s centennial restoration. Created in partnership with The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation, Inc., ALEX AND ANI will encourage consumers to draw inspiration from Lady Liberty, and recognize the light they bring to the world.

ALEX AND ANI will donate 10% for all online orders, excluding CHARITY BY DESIGN© and Licensed Product, placed between September 25, 2016 and December 31, 2016 to Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.

Use ALEX AND ANI’s Light Generator to share how you #CARRYLIGHT for your Big or Little.

At Big Brothers Big Sisters, we know mentoring can impact the mentor as much as the mentee, and that mentoring programs can help families and communities as well. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles (BBBSLA) is launching a new program that is sure to change the lives of Bigs, Littles, and their communities. Beyond School Walls, the workplace mentoring program developed and supported by Comcast NBCUniversal, will launch in its 17th market with a new program in Los Angeles.

The new Beyond School Walls at Universal Studios Hollywood is being called “multi-generational.” The innovative mentoring model matches Universal employees with high school students, and those same high school kids mentor elementary school kids. The high-schoolers are both mentor and mentee, Big and Little. A few times per year, all three participants, the Universal Big, his or her Little, and the elementary school Little, will meet and interact together.

The one-on-one mentoring relationships give the students someone to confide in and trust, someone who gives them an extra sense of support. “This results in the students having an improved outlook on life, improved self-confidence, improved self-esteem and improved behavior and academics,” BBBSLA CEO Tiffany Siart says. “This will, in turn, help create strong 10th-grade leaders in the community who will be able to immediately impact the third-graders they will be mentoring.”

Comcast NBCUniversal’s partnership with BBBSA extends beyond support of Beyond School Walls, as their monetary and in-kind donations also help with media support, local and national Board support, and BBBSA’s National Conference.

Beachbody Super Trainer Joel Freeman cannot sit still. You won’t catch him lounging in front of the television. He does not play video games. When he was searching for ways to give back to his community, he decided to become a Big Brother. His enrollment specialist asked what kind of kid he wanted to mentor, and his only stipulation was that the child had to be active and curious.

“Maddox is like an 8-year-old me, very active, always ready to go, ready to do something, very inquisitive,” Big Brother Joel says.

The collaboration between Beachbody and Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, which netted the organization a $250,000 donation, began in October with a one-day event during which Beachbody users could stream a preview of the new Beachbody workout CORE DE FORCE. For each user who streamed the new MMA-style workout, Beachbody donated $10 to BBBSA. The event and campaign came about partly because of Big Brother Joel’s involvement as a Big Brother with BBBS of Greater Los Angeles.

Working with BBBSA seemed natural, Joel said, because the fitness world has a similar mindset to the mentoring organization. Joel first got involved in Big Brothers Big Sisters to be a positive influence in the life of a child, and he got involved with the fitness industry for a similar reason. “I liked it at as a career choice because it’s so positive,” he says. “People don’t go into a gym to get worse. It’s very positive.”

At one point after they’d been matched, Little Brother Maddox pointed out to Joel that he always seemed to be smiling. “Dude,” Joel said, “there’s no reason not to.”

Maddox is the younger of his single mom’s two children, and he thrives with individual attention. “Little boys between 8 and 12, they’re finding themselves, figuring out who they are,” Joel says. “I’m excited to be part of his life at this time.”

Big Brother Joel and Little Brother Maddox did the CORE DE FORCE workout together with other matches to promote Beachbody’s campaign in support of BBBSA, and they often find new, active things to do together. Soon, Maddox hopes to tag along with Joel to the gym for boxing workouts.

Working hard and staying active are important, but the two most important things Joel wants to impart on Maddox are positivity and respect. “I want to teach him that things may not go your way, but being an eternal optimist helps you wake up every day and keep moving in the right direction,” he says. Growing up in West Texas helped Big Brother Joel develop manners and respect, and he hopes to teach Maddox to have respect as well. “Ultimately, I want people to meet him and be like, ‘Maddox. I like him. He’s a good guy.’”

Check out some of our Bigs and Littles having fun and getting fit.

For every person who streams @CoreDeForce, @Beachbody Foundation will donate $10 (up to $250K) https://t.co/XL9xxhhZLa #BeAPositiveForce pic.twitter.com/FnVhnbs1ST

— Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (@BBBSA) October 24, 2016

*Note: The name of Joel’s Little has been changed to protect his privacy.

Our new Bigs in Blue^SM program matches law enforcement officers with youth who need mentors and supports them in strong and enduring relationships. One of the goals of the program is fostering connections and understanding in our communities.

Philadelphia Police Commissioner Richard Ross Jr., a spokesman for Bigs in Blue, says he believes that in the same way Bigs always say they get as much out of the mentoring relationship as the Littles do, police volunteers will find a better understanding of the communities in which they serve.

“One of the reasons I’m all-in is because I see how valuable this will be for the law enforcement officers who volunteer to mentor,” Commissioner Ross says. “They too will gain understanding – Bigs in Blue is about building bridges and that’s what we need, especially now.”

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles is launching their Bigs in Blue program in partnership with the Los Angeles Police Department and the NFL’s L.A. Rams. The LAPD has a goal of recruiting 20 officers to volunteer as Bigs each year of the program, and the L.A. Rams will support the initiative by not only highlighting Bigs in Blue during a home game, but also providing tickets to BBBSLA matches.

In the communities that already have Bigs in Blue programs, teachers and parents have seen how impactful Bigs in Blue matches can be for children. In Milwaukee, for example, Redona Williams, the principal at a school with Bigs in Blue matches, says her students enjoy the time spent with the Bigs in Blue mentors so much that they return to their classes happy and satisfied. “This mentoring time seems to help build their confidence,” she says. “They tend to do better in their classes and are just flourishing, all because someone is paying attention to them.”

Featured in a “Today Show” segment were Big Brother Ryan, a detective, and Little Brother Robert. The Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Virginia match has had a big impact on both Big and Little.

Little Brother Markel and Big Brother Antoine were matched for one year through Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kentuckiana’s School to Work program at LG&E (Louisville Gas & Electric.) Markel, 17, is a determined go-getter who has a comedic side – he and his Big Brother often provided the comic relief at BBBS events. He is a hard worker, but he knows when to take things less seriously. “He has fun in life,” his mom says.

In August, Markel was named an “Esurance Rising Star Student” and awarded a $5,000 scholarship from Esurance and Minor League Baseball. The partnership awarded scholarships to 14 “Call Up Worthy” students across the country, and the “Rising Stars” were part of on-field ceremonies at their hometown Minor League Baseball stadiums.

This scholarship will be a big help to Little Brother Markel as he moves on to college. As a high school student, he never saw himself as someone who would go on to higher education, but after spending time with Antoine, who is an engineer, he was determined to succeed academically. Without Antoine, Markel says he wouldn’t have gone to college. “I would have been stuck in my shell,” Markel says. The days when he knew he would get to visit with Antoine, he was excited to go to school. He opened up and gained confidence. Markel’s mom says she knows he will excel in college because he’s determined, calm and collected, but also knows how to have fun.

Markel will study computer forensics at Sullivan University. Someday, he would like to open his own business.  

Check out the full list of the 2016 Esurance Rising Star Students here.

Here are five gift ideas that will bring joy this holiday season and do good by supporting Big Brothers Big Sisters:

1. Nordstrom’s Treasure&Bond’s “Washed Tapestry Scarf” or anything from the Treasure&Bond line for men, women, and children. When you shop the Treasure&Bond collection, Nordstrom donates 2.5% of net sales to Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.
2. ALEX AND ANI CHARITY BY DESIGN© Big and Little Dipper Set. Through December 31, 2016, ALEX AND ANI will donate 20% of the purchase price of each set sold to Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.
3. ALEX AND ANI Liberty Copper, featuring original copper preserved from the centennial restoration of the Statue of Liberty. Through December 31, ALEX AND ANI will donate 10% for all online orders, excluding CHARITY BY DESIGN© and Licensed Product, to Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.
4. Give the gift of time: plan a trip to Chuck E. Cheese’s for a child on your list. Experiences are more memorable than things, and you will enjoy playing games and taking a break from being an adult.
5. What about that person who is impossible to buy for? Donate to Big Brothers Big Sisters of America or your local agency in honor of them. You’ll feel great knowing you helped out your community, and they’ll feel great knowing they don’t have extra stuff lying around.

January 1 is not only the start of the New Year, it is also the start of National Mentoring Month, when organizations around the country honor mentors and bring awareness to mentoring. Thank Your Mentor Day is January 19, and mentees and former mentees are encouraged to reach out personally or to take to social media to thank their mentors for the influence they have had on their lives. Recently, former Little Brother Mike reached out to Big Brothers Big Sisters of America to thank his mentor, Big Brother Doug.

In 1973, Little Brother Mike was 11. He describes himself at that time as having long, stringy, “hippie” hair, and almost no adult supervision. His parents were divorced, and his mom was working hard as a nurse to provide for all five of her kids. Left on their own much of the time, Mike and his siblings skipped school and found mischief around every corner of their Cleveland Heights neighborhood.

“We smoked cigarettes and drank beer or wine,” Mike says. “We were turning into little criminals – terrorizing the neighborhood.” Mike’s mom knew her boys needed an adult role model, so she signed up Mike and his twin brother, Mark, to be Little Brothers through Big Brothers of Greater Cleveland.

Mike was matched with Big Brother Doug, a lawyer. Doug had volunteered to become a Big Brother after talking with a friend. They reflected on how lucky they had been to enjoy good education, stable families, and safe, happy childhoods. “One of us said to the other, ‘why don’t we see if we can do something to help somebody else out?’” Doug says. They became Big Brothers to twins Mike and Mark.

“I remember vividly walking into his house in Cleveland Heights,” Doug says. He saw Mike, Mark, their siblings and friends staring at a television screen that was flashing a test pattern. “Let’s get out of here,” Doug remembers saying. “Let’s do something.”

In the two years they were matched, they went to ball games, had dinner together, and talked about life. Their match ended when Mike’s mom moved the family from Ohio to Pueblo, Colorado, but the effect of the match lasted much longer in Mike’s life. “Once I started high school, something in my brain just clicked into place,” Mike says. “The lessons and advice I learned from Doug followed me to Pueblo. His example as my role model and his continued support through letters helped me mature and realize I was worth something, and that I should make something out of my life.”

From then on, Mike focused on school. He sought out positive after-school activities and graduated high school with plans to go to college. He majored in chemistry, earned his MBA, and climbed the corporate ladder. He married his high school sweetheart. They have a son who is now 17 and in the midst of the college application process. Mike says none of his story would be the same if he hadn’t had a Big Brother.

Mike attributes his son’s success to Doug as well. As a child who grew up with limited guidance and attention, seeing Doug with his family gave Mike a model he could strive for. “The example of a stable family helped,” Mike says. “I knew that was something I wanted one day.”

Doug is proud of both Mike and his son. They still see each other occasionally, when Mike visits Ohio. Doug says his Little Brother and the friendship they built over more than 40 years has given him more than he gave as a volunteer. Mike insists Doug changed his life for the better, forever.

“I’ve told Doug how much I attribute my success in life back to what he did for me as a Big Brother, but he always tells me the same thing – he says I did it on my own,” Mike says. “He’s very humble and wants me to claim the credit, but I already know the truth. I did not get here on my own. None of us ever do.”

This January, many of us will try our best to hit the gym, take more walks, or pull the bike out of the garage to get fit and make good on our resolutions. Your workout will do even more good this year when you join Big Brothers Big Sisters’ Great Big Challenge.

Great Big Challenge is a fun, month-long fitness and fundraising event and supporting Big Brothers Big Sisters this National Mentoring Month. Participants will choose a fitness goal and a fundraising goal that work for them, and get fit while helping make sure more children get matched with caring adult volunteers in the new year.

One of the top Great Big Challenge fundraisers so far, a Big Brother named Phil, says his motivation is his relationship with his Little, Avril. “We’ve spent a lot of time together biking, hiking, wall-climbing, going to baseball/football games – generally hanging out.   This month we are working together to get Avril his first job (his choice).  As a Big it is very rewarding,” Big Brother Phil says. Now, Phil wants to get back into working out. While working on that resolution, he is also spreading the word about Big Brothers Big Sisters and raising money to make sure more Littles like Avril have a Big who will make a difference for them.

Register today at GreatBigChallenge.com, choose your physical challenge — walking, biking, practicing yoga, swimming — any fitness goal that you want to achieve — and your fundraising goal, and get started on your resolutions to get fit and do good.

www.GreatBigChallenge.com

Taniah’s single mom was going to school, working full time, and raising her three kids. She knew her children needed more adult role models, so she enrolled all three as Littles at BBBS Services, Inc. in North Carolina.

Big Sister Angie was dealing with a sort of homesickness. She felt like something was missing in her life because she wasn’t giving back. “People can usually fulfill that need by giving to their family members,” she says. “However, as a first-generation immigrant and with the rest of my family in China, I didn’t have that luxury.” She tried other volunteer opportunities in her community, but nothing allowed her to genuinely connect with the people she was helping.

When Angie participated in a community service project through her job, she met Taniah. They felt instantly connected. They became Little Sister Taniah and Big Sister Angie after that, and have been matched for nearly four years now. Taniah says Angie is the perfect Big Sister for her. “I love that my Big is unique and can always make me laugh,” Taniah says. “I am pretty sure she can stand in a crowd of 100,000 people and I’ll know exactly who and where she is because of how unique she is.”

“I admire Angie because she takes the time out of her day to help with my homework and introduce me to new things.”
– Little Sister Taniah

Big Sister Angie and Little Sister Taniah have played countless games, run in the 5K Color Run, put on fashion shows, and danced to every kind of music. Angie also makes sure Taniah has the opportunity to explore what she might want to study in college, and what kind of career she might want to have as an adult.

Angie has also allowed Taniah to visit her job and see what she does every day. “Opportunities like that show Taniah that she can be successful,” Taniah’s mom says. Not only does Angie sometimes tutor Taniah, she also communicates with Taniah’s teachers, attends Taniah’s school concerts, and teaches her about where her family lives in China. Taniah is excited to learn about the culture of where Angie is from. “Angie has introduced me to her culture by teaching me how to speak Mandarin,” Taniah says.

Through the years, Taniah has struggled with self-confidence and academics, especially math. Big Sister Angie has helped her work on both. “One thing that I admire is Angie’s devotion to Taniah’s education,” Taniah’s mom says. With Taniah’s end-of-grade exam in math coming up, Angie and Taniah took a break from the fun activities they enjoy doing together to focus on math. Angie worried because Taniah was having such a hard time mastering the material. “Fortunately, neither of us gave up,” she says. “The few weeks leading to the exam, we didn’t play at all and spent all our time working on prep questions. The hard work paid off. Taniah got a B! I know it’s not an A, but for us it felt like A+!”