August 2018 Issue

From the President and CEO

Dear friends,
 
On Monday, I met this year's Annual Car Raffle winner, Brandon Jackson, and his wife Marisa. Friendly, humble, and humorous, the conversation between us flowed easily. We talked about Brandon's upbringing in Charlestown, getting his dream job working as a security guard at the USS Constitution, how he and Marisa met, and how he proposed to her in front of Cinderella's castle at Disney World. Having grown up in Boston myself, Brandon and I traded stories of how our city has changed over the years. Brandon remarked on the rising cost of housing, which got me thinking about the number of Little Sisters and their families who can no longer afford to live here.
 
Boston is indeed changing at a rapid pace that leaves many struggling to keep up. How can we, as a youth mentoring organization, be part of the solution when it comes to increasing access and opportunity for all who live--or want to live--here? We can start by making connections, something that has always been at the core of our work. We can provide programs that foster building social capital among women and girls-Workplace Mentoring, New Girls Network, and Conversations Among Women. Our Take Your Little Sister to Work Day is another opportunity for our Little Sisters to make connections while envisioning what is possible for their futures.
 
Together, we can take small steps like these to create a more inclusive Boston, one that expands rather than contracts, and one that offers opportunity for a broad spectrum of its residents.

 
With gratitude,




carraffle
Meet the Winner of our 30th Annual Car Raffle


Brandon (center) and his wife Marisa (right of Brandon) celebrate with Big Sister Boston staff.

On Monday, August 13, our 30th Annual Car Raffle winner, Brandon Jackson, was presented with his prize at our office. "I didn't get my license until I was 18 and I really don't like driving, so the choice was easy for me," said Brandon, who took the $40,000 cash prize over the car from Herb Chambers BMW of Boston. Born and raised in Charlestown, Brandon and his wife Marisa, recently bought a home in Dracut. They plan to use their winnings to help decorate and furnish their new home. Brandon still commutes to Charlestown every day for work, having secured his "dream job" as a security guard at the USS Constitution several years ago.
 
Brandon is a first-time Car Raffle ticket buyer. He saw an ad for the raffle in The Boston Globe and tore it out as a reminder to purchase a ticket later that day. Little did he know that his would be the winning ticket! In fact, when Board member and Car Raffle drawing emcee, Lisa Hughes of WBZ-TV/CBS Boston, called the phone number listed on the ticket, Brandon's wife Marisa was the one to answer--and she thought it might be a hoax. She contacted Brandon to ask if he had in fact entered our raffle and was elated to find out that their prize was for real. "When we found out that Lisa Hughes was going to announce it on the news that night, we made sure to record it!" said Marisa. "We cried when we heard her say Brandon's name."
 
Brandon noted that his niece has been a Little Sister with us for five years, and said he was happy to support an organization doing such great work in our community. "I really believe that you get back what you give out," he said of winning the raffle and knowing that his ticket purchase will directly support our mentoring and enrichment programs for Greater Boston's girls.

summersisterSummer Sister Adventures

Wondering what some of our Big and Little Sisters have been up to this summer? 


lstowork
Take Your Little Sister to Work Day


Did you notice some younger than usual workers in your office on Wednesday? Big and Little Sisters celebrated our annual Take Your Little Sister to Work Day, by doing just that! Each summer, we dedicate a day for our Big Sisters to bring their Little Sisters into their workplaces, from the US Army to advertising agencies, and every career in between! This year, we opened up the career awareness activity to girls who are waiting to be matched with a Big Sister. Ten girls were matched with ten of our staff to explore a career in non-profit. The Little Sisters toured our office, got a behind-the-scenes look at how matches are made and supported, and had a lively Q&A with Deb Re about being a non-profit leader.

Check out more photos on our Facebook page!
Mark Your Calendar

#FUN in Boston: Aspiring and Inspiring Millennial Women of Color

Thursday, September 20
5:30 PM - 8:00 PM
Big Sister Boston Office

City Awake, the next-generation platform of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, is pleased to announce Fierce Urgency of Now (FUN), a six-day festival featuring programming designed to highlight the experiences, challenges, and possibilities for millennials of color in Boston. Big Sister Boston is taking part in the festival with a panel event featuring millennial women of color who work and volunteer with us.  Leave with new connections, innovative ideas and game-changing strategies to drive your career, lead a vibrant social life, and lift up the next generation in the fierce urgency of now.







Join Team Big Sister in the Rodman Ride for Kids

September 22, 2018
Various start times

Join Team Big Sister in the annual Rodman Ride for Kids. The non-competitive cycling event takes place in Foxboro and offers a 100, 50, or 25-mile route. As part of Team Big Sister, you'll be raising funds in support of our mentoring and enrichment programs for Greater Boston's girls. Total funds raised by Team Big Sister have the opportunity to be matched up to 3% by the Rodman Ride for Kids! We'll give you all the tools you need to set a course for fundraising success. 

If you would like to join the team, please register online or contact MK Thornton at mkthornton@bigsister.org or 617.236.5304.

cawConversations Among Women: How Women of Color are Creating Social Impact from Social Capital

October, time and location TBD

Join in on a robust conversation around the importance of building social capital for women of color. More information and tickets available in September. 



Big in Boston

November 10, 2018
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Join us in celebrating and elevating Greater Boston's women and girls through the power of positive relationships. Our annual gala is a not-to-be-missed opportunity to show your support for the 2,700 girls we serve annually and help us match more girls with a mentor who will ignite her power and passion to succeed. Big in Boston 2018 will be chaired by Allen & Gerritsen CEO, Andrew Graff, and honor C Space chairman, Diane Hessan, for leading the charge on increasing women's seats on local corporate boards and giving women-run businesses a leg up. 

Sponsorship available now. Individual tickets available in September.


Need space?   Big Sister has a large, fully furnished conference room  that can be rented for hourly or daily rates. Please contact our Administrative Specialist, Deborah Pless, at 617.236.8060 for more information. 

Proudly Supported by


Big Sister Association of Greater Boston | 617.236.8060 | bigsister@bigsister.org | www.bigsister.org
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