What a wonderful time we had at our Mingle for Mentoring event last Thursday. Our sincere thanks to 3S Art Space in Portsmouth for generously donating their space for the evening and to all who joined us for great conversation and connection. Special guest speakers included Big Sister, Kellen Millard, and our Big Brother of the Year, Adam O’Kane, with a look into their experiences and a special kickoff to our Annual Thankful Giving Campaign or TGC.
Our call to action for the night and every night was, “What are you willing to commit to right now to support BBBSNH?”
Our Thankful Giving Campaign (TGC) is officially in full swing! We hope you will join us to honor the mentors in your lives and give thanks to our mentors who have dedicated their time and treasure this past year shaping the lives of NH youth. Each year we raise the necessary funds to keep our services free to all youth in need of a mentor. January (also National Mentoring Month) will mark my 11th year with BBBSNH and still today, I have such gratitude to the many supporters of this great mission. BBBSNH creates and supports mentoring relationships that truly change lives.
Back in 2015, a little boy named Christopher came to the office with his dad to drop off a jar of funds he collected for his 8th birthday. Christopher decided that instead of presents for himself, he wanted to help other kids that needed a mentor. He asked friends and family to contribute to his birthday fund to support a mentoring match. It has been 7 years since this picture was taken and to this day, I still remember being overcome with joy and gratitude for this young person and his vision to do something that would impact another’s life so deeply.
What 8-year-old Christopher did back then is what it means today to get involved in our Thankful Giving Campaign. Find your own way to get involved (Social Media Toolkit) and honor your mentor. Tell your story as a donor, Big or Mentor, a parent/guardian of a child in the program or maybe even take it a step further and get your workplace involved – the possibilities are endless!
More than 150 youths are on our waiting list seeking a mentor and we won’t stop working to match every child that wants a mentor, with one! Join us to defend potential!
With gratitude,
Stacy W. Kramer, CEO