MARCH 2023 ISSUE

Hello Friends!

March has been our month – actually, all months are because of the amazing work our team does every day serving the girls and young women of Greater Boston and working with the best volunteers and partners ever! But this month, Women's History Month, has been a particularly full and exciting month at Big Sister. And it’s not over yet!

The New Girls Network program returned in a big way this month with an in-person kickoff event at the PwC offices (thank you to Board Member Cosette Maroney for hosting!). The New Girls Network is an exclusive benefit for current, former, and soon-to-be Big Sisters as well as Big Sister staff to support their personal and professional journeys. We brought together 50 mentors and 50 mentees for an evening of mentorship, networking, and building stronger relationships for the year ahead.

On International Women’s Day, the New England Patriots Foundation and player Jon Jones highlighted our work on behalf of the girls and young women of Greater Boston. They along with CVS Health recognized our impact with a $10,000 contribution to Big Sister! Our girls and young women had an opportunity to hear from Jon, ask lots of questions, and enjoy a wonderful tour of the New England Patriots Hall of Fame. And, members of our Junior Advisory Board were interviewed by local media – what a great experience all around!

Also, this month, we had a very important roundtable discussion with Congresswoman Pressley about the important work we do at Big Sister and the role mentoring plays across generations. We highlighted the partnership our High School Mentoring program provides both for our Boston Latin Academy high school students and the girls of the Trotter School who they mentor. During this event, we received $250,000 in Federal dollars in support of our 1-to-1 mentoring programs. Thank you, Congresswoman Pressley, for the investment in our girls and in our collective work!

We will wrap up Women’s History month with an important conversation about girls’ mental health. On Wednesday, March 29, we’re hosting Big Sister Boston Rising Together: Strengthening Girls' Mental Health and Mentorship, bringing together practitioners in the field of mental health, counseling, and psychology, to discuss the recent CDC report and the work we can do together to improve outcomes.

And finally, this month also marks a significant milestone for a very special member of our team. After nearly 21 years of service to the Big Sister Association of Greater Boston, Mia Roberts is retiring! There aren’t enough words of gratitude to thank her. I am most grateful for her support during this period of my transition at Big Sister and that she will continue to serve as both a member of our Board of Directors and Diversity Board – as well as the lead ambassador for everything Big Sister!

With gratitude,

Annissa Essaibi George
President & CEO, Big Sister Boston

A Fond Farewell to Mia Roberts 

This week, Big Sister Boston will bid a fond farewell to Vice President of Community Relations, Mia Roberts, as she retires. Over the course of nearly 21 years with Big Sister, Mia has remained steadfastly committed to our mission and uplifting the girls and women of Greater Boston. “I was drawn to Big Sister because of the organization's belief in girls and women, its commitment to diversity, and its programmatic and operational strength. Big Sister represented a vital opportunity to improve outcomes for individual girls and girls throughout the Commonwealth. It did then, and it does now,” she said. She will continue to support the organization as a member of both our Diversity Board and Board of Directors. 

Mia is a consummate connector, which shows up in the work she has done with our organization for more than two decades. A stalwart at community events and a networking maven, Mia has woven Big Sister into the very fabric of our community. During her tenure, she has led our efforts to recruit volunteers, managed our operational excellence, and stewarded robust relationships with corporate, civic, and community partners.  

These partnerships not only underscored the importance of mentoring in our community but also helped us serve more girls with quality programming and best-in-class mentoring relationships. She worked with Superintendent Lisa Holmes of the Boston Police Department to hold workshops and activities for both our staff and Little Sisters waiting to be matched with a Big Sister. She expanded our reach by partnering with Rachel Goodman of the Boston Housing Authority to serve girls in Boston’s public housing developments. And, she facilitated much-needed transportation to and from countless Big Sister events and activities through her relationship with Paul Revere Transportation. 

It only makes sense that what Mia says she will miss most about Big Sister is the connections. “I will miss the people who work daily to realize Big Sister's mission. I have enjoyed working with, debating, problem-solving, and cooking up good trouble with some of the most amazing people and organizations.” Please join us in expressing our deepest gratitude to Mia for her dedication to Big Sister Boston and its mission, and wishing her a happy and healthy retirement. 

Big For a Day Returns to the Stitch House

Earlier this month, we hosted a Big for a Day event at the Stitch House in Dorchester. We had a great turnout of BFAD volunteers and Little Sisters joining us for this arts and crafts event! Staff from both Big Sister and the Stitch House were on hand to help facilitate a variety of art projects, including a sewing station to make headbands, a crocheting center where volunteers and Little Sisters learned to make patterns with yarn, and a station to make small pom-poms. All of our Little Sisters and BFAD volunteers left with a finished project and some great memories! We wrapped up this fun event with some cheese pizza and snacks.

Donate Your Gently Used Items!

Out with the old, in with the new? The new year is the perfect time to clean out those closets! Donate your gently used clothing and household items to the Big Brother Big Sister Foundation. 

Got Connections? 

Big Sister Boston is always looking for spaces to make our match activities and big events special! Do you have a connection to a hotel, museum, cultural center, or other venue? Contact Natalie at nfenwick@bigsister.org so we can learn more about it!