Be BIG and get involved

Every child needs a mentor

All children and youth need someone to look up to. More than this, they require someone to provide them with guidance and advice, someone to give them attention and praise- not to mention someone to have fun with! Children and youth can get this support from parents or caregivers, siblings, teachers, coaches - and also from volunteer mentors!

The children involved in the mentoring programs at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Clarington have one thing in common; they are lacking a positive role model in their life. Whether it be a family separation, a new move to the Clarington community, a death of a family member, among many other situations, our littles are lacking special one-on-one time with an influential, positive adult in their life that they can connect with, trust, and experience the world with.

The relationship is about starting something big for at-risk children; it is about opening up the child's eyes to possibilities and experiences that would have not been otherwise possible without the friendship of their mentor. 

Children who spend time with a mentor gain confidence, acquire new skills and competencies, and develop an enhanced capacity to care for others. Mentors experience a sense of discovery and enjoyment as they see the world of possibility open up through a child’s eye.