5 Misconceptions About Becoming a Big
We talk to prospective Bigs every single day and we hear many different reasons why they they can’t become a Big Brother. We’re here to clarify some of the most popular misconceptions! Any of these reservations you may have about becoming a Big will wash right away the moment you meet your Little. 1. There […]
Test Yourself: Are You Smarter Than A ‘Little’?
Becoming a Big can be a bit intimidating! A lot of volunteers question how they will get along with their Little or what kind of activities they could do together. Like any new friendship, it takes time. To help get to know some of the Littles we work with, we put together this awesome video showcasing […]
12 Boston Volunteer Opportunities You Can Do With Your Little
We’ve received a lot of requests from Bigs looking for opportunities around Boston for them to volunteer with their Littles. Showing your Little how to volunteer encapsulates the goals of the program and teaches Littles the importance of giving back themselves. As per your request, we put together a list of organizations and kid-friendly volunteer […]
10 Tweets From Bigs & Partners You Need To See
Twitter is not all about Kanye rants and Daniel rocking his white Vans. While we admit that it IS entertaining, the microblogging site is actually a great way to share your thoughts and experiences in a quick, witty way. BBBSMB often interacts with our Bigs and partners on Twitter. It’s fun to see what our […]
Mentoring Real Life Stories: Little Brother Tim Runs 2016 Boston Marathon
Throughout their match, Bob exposed Tim to the idea of paying it forward. Now, Little Brother Timmy Leung will be competing in the Boston Marathon this April with his goal to finish and help raise $5,000 for the American Red Cross. Without his Big Brother Bob, he reflects on how none of it could have […]
BIG Advice: 7 Tips for New Bigs from Bigs
The early stages of a match are a little intimidating. The desire to make a great first impression and be a good mentor to your Little may seem a bit daunting. What you might not know though is that the beginning stages can be some of the more rewarding moments you have together. You learn how […]
Best Moments of Being a Big: In GIFs!
What’s it like to be a Big or mentor? We put together some of our top mentoring moments for you… all in GIFS! When you make the decision to become a Big… via GIPHY You were probably thinking about it for a while and then suddenly you realized that you could spare 2-3 hours, twice […]
Making a Difference on the Cape: Gabrielle & Emma
Gabrielle knew she wanted to give back to her community, but as a college student with little money or influence she knew that the one thing she had to give was time and effort. Fortunately, that’s all she needed to become an awesome Big Sister to Emma. Like many of our Bigs, Gabrielle would soon realize […]
National Mentoring Month: Chris Byner Pays it Forward
In honor of National Mentoring Month, BBBSMB would like to highlight some of our partners who play a major role as mentors in our community. This week, we will be focusing on Chris Byner of Boston Centers for Youth and Families. Chris is a lifelong Boston native, who gave up a six-figure job to pay […]
Bucket List: 12 Things To Do With Your Little this New Year
A New Year is always an exciting time to try and learn new things. In a match, this is especially true. So for the New Year, we mapped out some of the best activities you can try each month as well as highlight a few of the many deals our awesome partners provide. Track your progress […]
College Athletes Give Back: Lesley Athletes are Leaders in Community
In the Fall of 2014, Lesley University’s Athletic Director, Jen Benway, approached BBBSMB about presenting our program with hopes of recruiting a few of the athletes. Now almost into 2016, Lesley’s athletes have become leaders in the community and provided mentors for many children in the Cambridge area. We highlight two of the matches that have been […]
10 TV & Movie Mentors We Can All Learn From
Great life lessons and mentoring moments can be picked up from your favorite movie and TV characters. Despite some of their unsavory personality traits and unconventional mentoring styles, there are always moments we can learn from by simply watching how they impact the lives of their mentees. For fun, we put together this list of our 10 favorite […]
Community Spotlight: First Match at Villa Victoria
We know first-hand how tough it can be to connect meaningfully in communities we hope to serve, so this week we featured one of our new and most proud community partners, Villa Victoria. In addition, we put together a list of tips to help other non-profits make the same impact in these communities- see below! Located in […]
10 Moments That Will Make You Believe In Mentoring
Here at the Being BIG blog, we normally show you our mentoring real life stories through interviews, short stories and quotes. However, to really get a sense for what being a mentor is all about, we thought it would be better to actually show you our great Bigs and Littles in action. They say seeing is believing, so […]
11 Parent Mentoring Testimonials That Will Make You Smile
Our Match Support Specialists are the eyes and ears of our agency. As the point of contact for our families, they hold the key to something special: our Matches’ stories. Day in and day out, parents and guardians are singing the praises of our Bigs and we thought it was time to stop and share […]
10 Low-Cost Things To Do With Your Little This Fall
While it’s sad to say goodbye to summer, Fall is a New Englanders dream! There are so many fun and cost effective things to do in and around the Boston area. To make your lives easier, we thought we’d highlight a few to get you and your Little out in the crisp fall air. Enjoy […]
5 Ways to Help Your Little Gear Up for Back to School
With ‘Back to School’ in full swing, we’ve been getting a lot of questions from volunteers about how to encourage their Little in school without sounding too “naggy” or missing out on the fun. So we put together a list of five things that you can do to help encourage their love of learning while […]
Why I Ride for Team BBBSMB: Rodman Ride for Kids
Here at BBBSMB we are always looking to highlight awesome partners and opportunities for individuals to support the BBBSMB mission. This week we decided to highlight Rodman Ride for Kids, the largest single-day athletic fundraiser in the nation, along with our awesome riders who go the extra mile (or 25+) to do whatever they can […]
Mentoring Real Life Story: An Ode to Grandparents
Families come in all shapes and sizes. Regardless of who a child’s official guardian is, those who call us are united by one common belief: they all want what’s best for their child/grandchild. Time and time again we see moms, dads and now more than ever, grandparents, looking for a program that will help their […]
5 Healthy Ways to Integrate Technology Into Your Mentoring Relationship
If you’ve watched a child for an extended period of time, then chances are you’ve had to fork over your smartphone or tablet to keep him or her busy. It’s okay, we’ve all done it at some point. According to a Common Sense Media study, children ages 5-8 spend nearly two and half hours each day […]
Mentoring Success Story: “It’s not about the money”
The benefits of mentoring relationships on mentees are endless. Research shows that mentors have the power to influence a child’s development including career goals, academic performance, social skills, and more. Of the many practical life skills a mentor can teach, one that makes a huge difference in a child’s daily habits is the practice of spending […]
3 Reasons Why Boston Young Professionals Need to Get More Involved
Finding your way in the working world can be a hard thing to manage, but getting involved doesn’t have to be. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Massachusetts Bay’s Young Professional Group encourages and supports Boston’s work force to make a difference and is a great resource for Boston young professionals looking to give back in the […]
Gorging for a Good Cause: 3 Innovative Approaches to Partnerships from Boston University’s SigEp
A triple bacon cheese burger, a heaping plate of fries, an eight scoop super sundae (with a brownie at the bottom) and a 20 ounce root beer. How could anyone be talked into trying to eat all of that in a day let alone in 30 minutes? Who would pay to try to accomplish such […]
College Athletes Give Back: Emerson Basketball Mentors in Boston
Jared Kortsen had always felt like he was missing out on something. After transferring from the University of Akron to Emerson College in the Fall of 2014, he felt like the pieces were started to come together, but something was still lacking. Then his fellow teammates told him about the opportunity to become a mentor […]