Making a Big adjustment
Pandemic forces Big Brothers Big Sisters to reinvent itself
When the coronavirus pandemic hit last year, Bristol Roten, an 11-yearold from Martha’s Vineyard, worried that the close bond she shared with her mentor through Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Massachusetts would come undone.
“What worried me is we wouldn’t be able to hang out and talk anymore,” Bristol said. “But I stopped worrying because I realized we could still do things together.”
Over the last year, Big Brothers Big Sisters has had to reinvent itself to preserve the close relationships between its mentors, or “Bigs,” and its mentees, or Little Brothers and Little Sisters, while also keeping them all safe.
In March, all of the nonprofit’s programs became virtual. Then beginning July 1, its more than 3,000 Bigs and Littles were allowed to begin meeting in person again if they felt comfortable and adhered to social distancing and other guidelines outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Through it all, the organization managed to make 500 more matches last year. And on Thursday it raised more than $1 million to help make even more matches for a waiting list of over 300 youngsters.
“During a time when it may have made sense to halt service … we virtually interviewed, matched and supported Bigs and Littles and saw them thrive,” President and CEO Mark O’Donnell said at the agency’s virtual fundraiser. “The spark of that connection was still possible.”
That doesn’t mean it was easy. Some “Littles” and their families were struggling with food and housing insecurity, O’Donnell said, and Big Brothers Big Sisters offered them connections to aid.
“The volunteers were facing their own challenges with isolation and uncertainty,” he said, “and instead of wallowing, they rose to the occasion and applied to be Bigs.”
“I’ve always wanted to become a Big, but living farther from where our Littles typically are wouldn’t have worked. So having the opportunity to be virtual was great,” said Kaylah Wicks, a 27-year-old staff member from Worcester who has been a Big Sister for five months. “It just felt like a time when my Littles really needed that support.”
Jalil Hafiz Rogers Presley, 14, of Dorchester, and his Big, Eric Wirth, had their first Zoom meeting last April.
“And it was actually good,” Jalil said.
“Once we learned there was so much that we could talk about any given week,” said Wirth, 38, of Boston, “it became something to look forward to.”
Whether Bigs and Littles met virtually or in person, the results were often lifechanging.
“Before, I used to be a lot more to myself, just trying to get through the day, and you want to talk to somebody, but my problem was that I wouldn’t talk to anybody,” said Aren Williams, 15, of Dorchester. “It isn’t healthy when you’re pretty much holding in how you feel, whether it’s always good or completely bad. Once (Big Brother) Ryan (Hathaway) came into my life, he let it be known that it’s OK to talk to people.”
Hathaway’s friendship with Aren also helped his mother, Daphne Lopes.
“As a single mom, raising a young man out here, looking for male guidance and male companionship and someone to help our children find their way in this world, Big Brothers Big Sisters is vital to do that,” Lopes said. “They give us advice, they reach out and they give us connections, they give us resources. So it’s more than just an agency that takes care of the Littles. They take care of the adults, as well.”
‘The volunteers were facing their own challenges with isolation and uncertainty and instead of wallowing, they rose to the occasion and applied to be Bigs.’ MARK O’DONNELL Big Brothers Big Sisters president and CEO