Trillium grant helps Big Brothers Big Sisters of Oxford County make a difference

An Ontario Trillium Foundation grant has helped transform how the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Oxford County recruits the volunteers needed for its vital mentorship programs.

The grant through the foundation’s Resilient Communities Fund allowed the local Big Brothers Big Sisters chapter to hire a new volunteer recruitment and engagement co-ordinator to specifically focus on recruiting – and keeping – volunteers after officials noted a drop in interest during the COVID-19 pandemic .

“Volunteers are valuable resources for many organizations, including Big Brothers Big Sisters,” Oxford MPP Ernie Hardeman said in a release. “The dollars granted to the agency by the Ontario Trillium Foundation’s Resilient Communities Fund help make it possible to focus on recruiting volunteers and building a strong strategic direction.”

The result has been astonishing. Since establishing the new position in September 2022, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Oxford County has seen a 60 per cent jump in the number of volunteer inquiries. This success, officials said, suggests the need for this dedicated role to help answer “the growing needs in our community.”

“The Resilient Communities Fund grant has provided Big Brothers Big Sisters of Oxford County with the resources to not only work to provide mentoring programs to the increased number of young people and families seeking our services, it has also allowed up to move out of the day -to-day mindset and look to our future to build strategy and an operational plan,” executive director Kristen Ralph said in a release.

“We want to continue to be there for Oxford County children and youth, and this funding is allowing us to build that path forward.”

That direction is the second part of the $80,200 grant. The Oxford County non-profit plans to resume the development of a new strategic plan, which was put on pause during the pandemic while the agency pivoted to a virtual platform for its programs. Now, Big Brothers Big Sisters officials are intent on developing new medium- and long-range plans to address the agency’s organizational needs while ensuring a strong future through solid funding.

The mission of Big Brothers Big Sisters is serving young people in the community who are facing adversity, and come from diverse socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds and experiences. Through a variety of programming, including mentorship, these youth enjoy positive experiences in recreation, skill development, teamwork and communication while developing a sense of belonging and greater confidence.

The Ontario Trillium Foundation is an agency of the provincial government that provides community grants to support different non-profits. Last year, the foundation invested more than $110 million in 21,022 community projects and partnerships across Ontario.