WEYBURN - Big Brothers Big Sisters of Saskatchewan received $195,000 from Conexus Credit Union, over the next three years to support life-changing mentoring relationships.
The mission of Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) is to enable life-changing mentoring relationships to ignite the power and potential of young people, with the vision that all young people can realize their full potential.
With the three-year partnership agreement, Conexus Credit Union’s investment means the Big Brothers Big Sisters agencies in Saskatchewan can enable 100 life-changing mentoring relationships. The five agencies are proud to serve 17 communities, including Weyburn.
For a young person facing adversity, an additional consistent and supportive developmental relationship can change the trajectory of their life. By intentionally recruiting volunteers based on the needs of our community’s youth, BBBS matches them with a professionally screened volunteer mentor; trains and supports the mentor, mentee, and family, all while being monitored and supported through a professional caseworker.
“At Conexus, we believe leadership is rooted in developing other leaders. Mentorship is a key part of that and something we’re actively promoting not only with Conexus employees, but also through our community partnerships like Big Brothers Big Sisters that offer meaningful opportunities for education, work skills programs, and literacy,” said Nicole Westerlund VP, Member and Community Engagement.
“We know that everyone is capable of being a leader and our communities are stronger for it, and that’s why we’re proud to partner with Big Brothers Big Sisters as they help develop life-changing mentoring relationship that invest in the future leaders of Saskatchewan.”
The results of the developmental relationship built between the mentor and the mentee:
• Mental health & well-being improve
• Enhanced social emotional competence (relationship skills, social awareness, responsible decision-making, self- management and self-awareness)
• Increased educational engagement BBBS mentoring programs have been proven to help break the cycle of poverty, drugs, and violence by encouraging healthy lifestyles, furthering education, accelerating engagement into society, and ultimately – providing access and opportunity to youth who would not be on a trajectory to success.
BBBS build up youth to build up their community and create lasting systemic changes throughout Saskatchewan and Canada.
