Why girls?

JULY 2020 ISSUE

From the President & CEO

Dear friends,

Over the years, when talking about our organization, people have often responded by asking why girls? I have been told that Big Sister should merge with an organization serving boys, even though we have been successfully focused on girls in Greater Boston for nearly 70 years. I can answer the question why girls? in many different ways, but right now I want to address who the girls are that we serve. Our Little Sisters are 90% girls of color. 75% live in the neighborhoods of Boston, the majority in Dorchester and Roxbury. Nearly 90% of the girls we serve live in low-income households. This data might conjure up certain images or ideas about our Little Sisters, especially if you do not share their lived experiences.

Yet, at Big Sister, we don’t say at-risk girls, or inner city girls, or marginalized girls, or disadvantaged girls. Once we label girls, we 'other' them; we see them as their circumstances, not as their true selves. Girls are at a disadvantage when we don’t believe in them and question the validity of addressing their unique developmental needs. Girls are at-risk of not realizing their potential when we put negative labels on them, pressure them to conform to a certain standard, or impose our unconscious bias upon them. At Big Sister, with your support, we are focused on creating pathways to power for our Little Sisters: through mentorship, leadership development, skill-building, access and opportunity. We are focused on making their trajectory one of being labelled Big Sister, Board member, or CEO instead. And that, is why girls.

In gratitude,

Check out a short clip from the hour-long session with writer Sarah Watson.

Hear what author Anna Nyakana has to say about being a heroine on the page and in real life.

BY THE BOOK

Among our Little Sisters we have more than a few aspiring writers and many avid readers. We’ve continued supporting our Little Sisters’ interests with virtual activities that not only keep them engaged during a time of isolation, but also get them up close and personal with women who make their careers as writers!

On July 6, our Big for a Day volunteers and Little Sisters who are waiting to be matched with a Big Sister enjoyed the culmination of the virtual book club we’ve been hosting with them—a video chat with Sarah Watson, author of Most Likely and creator of the TV series The Bold Type. Sarah answered questions about developing positive female characters and relationships in her writing, the importance of mentorship as a writer, and how to break into the field, which was of particular interest to Little Sister Cassie who is an aspiring playwright.

Only July 11, we hosted the first of two virtual activities for our Big and Little Sisters ages 7-10 with award-winning author, speaker, and entrepreneur Anna Nyakana. Anna wrote the children's book "Niyah Zuri and The Pharaoh's Throne," which follows self-assured heroine Niyah Zuri as she and her best friends, Miguel and Hugo Gonzales, travel through time with the use of a mystical map. Her passion and message behind the book is to bring representation to children's books and diversity to the classroom; to instill self-love while kids gain knowledge of other world cultures through time-bending exploration. Anna will be doing a writing workshop with Big Sisters and Little Sisters ages 11-14 on Saturday.

Workplace Mentoring Closes Out the Year Virtually

Going virtual didn’t put a stop our Workplace Mentoring Big and Little Sister relationships. When our partner companies went to a work from home format and the Little Sisters' schools closed, our staff took our Workplace Mentoring program online. “We had to pivot quickly to make sure our Big and Little Sister matches in this program, which typically meet at the Big Sister’s workplace, could continue connecting virtually.” said Melissa Nystedt, Vice President of Programs. “We created a virtual toolkit and resources for our matches, who also kept their relationships thriving through letters, video chats, or phone calls. We were delighted to see the resiliency and creativity of all involved!”

Big Sisters responded to the transition with enthusiasm that they could continue these meaningful relationships:

"Thanks so much for all that you do! My Little Sister and I had a good call today in which we made SMART goals for her over the next few weeks, one for school, one for play, and one for self-development. I'm optimistic about it!” -Big Sister Alicia, Wayfair

At the end of June, the Big and Little Sisters at Allen & Gerritsen, Alexion, Fidelity Investments, John Hancock, and Wayfair attended virtual year-end celebrations hosted by our staff so that they could head into the summer break with positive closure.

Mark Your Calendar

NOW THROUGH JULY 30
32nd Annual Car Raffle
Drawing at 1:00 PM on July 30
Purchase ticket(s)

You could win a 2020 BMW 230i xDrive convertible from Herb Chambers BMW of Boston or $40,000 in cash -- the choice is yours! Only 1,951 tickets will be sold, so get yours before they're gone. For more info and to purchase your tickets, click here.

JULY 27
Become a Big Sister Info Session
co-hosted by Big Sister Boston's Diversity Board
5:30 PM - 6:00 PM
Online // Click here to register

Want to learn more about becoming a Big Sister or know a woman who does? Register today for our virtual info session and find out how you can be a part of something...even when we're apart.

NOW THROUGH SEPTEMBER 26
Join Team Big Sister in the Virtual Rodman Ride for Kids
Online // Click here to register

This year's Rodman Ride for Kids has gone virtual and that means the possibilities are endless as a member of Team Big Sister! Walk, run, or ride around your neighborhood to raise funds or create your own activity. We're here to help you with fundraising tips and tricks that you need to succeed. Register to be a part of Team Big Sister today.

View all upcoming events

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