Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County December Newsletter

December Updates
and HAPPY HOLIDAYS from

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County!

Season's Greetings!

May your holidays be filled with peace, prosperity, and a compassionate heart in the New Year. Please help us to cultivate more mentors for more children in 1010.

December 2009

A Mentoring Story: Big Brother Broadens a Boy's Horizons with Basketball and Ballet

by Bob DeMarco

Recently, I was asked "What do I get from volunteering and being a 'BIG'?" I stopped for a moment as I felt a tidal wave of emotion rush through my mind. I believe the easier question would be "What don't I get from being a 'big'?"

My Little's name is Nazsheir and he is ten years old. Nazsheir is so typical of boys his age, filled with wonder and promise. Their dreams could fill the Grand Canyon and beyond and serve as constant reminders of my own dreams, both filled and unfulfilled.

Nazsheir is my neighbor, he is my community and he is my country. He represents the future of all of us and for that reason, the effort I expend sharing and teaching him about our world is a small contribution for the greater good of us all. Nazsheir may be the hope for cancer, he may be a reserve of talent which all of us shall enjoy or he may simply be a conduit for our future existence. No matter what, he is OUR child and we all share the responsibility of helping to assure that he is ready to run the race of mankind and can keep pace with the best of them.

"What do I get?" you may ask. I relive every boyhood dream I ever had through his eyes. We share our visions for our future and share our memories of the past. Nazsheir is a big basketball fan and we recently went to Madison Square Garden to see the New York Knicks play. It was opening day and there were many special activities geared for kids, like face painting, balloons and contests. Nazsheir's eyes were bright that night as he saw his first pro game and I will forever be a part of that memory.

At the ballet

This past weekend I was thankful for the opportunity to share something totally new and different with a ten year old boy, the Ballet! Nazsheir and I went to see The Nutcracker, performed by the Orange County Ballet Theatre, courtesy of BBBS! This was a treat and allowed me to turn an art form into something cool so it would be accepted rather than looked down upon as would be typical form a boy his age. We celebrated the arts and how it brought civility to our community.

Nazsheir's mother, Katia, is a nice young woman and I know that my efforts are helping her as well as helping him. I trust that she realizes I am privileged to be a part of his life, and the enrichment he brings to my life can never be repaid. Children of today will be mentors of tomorrow, reach out and open your hand. You may be surprised how good it is to feel the clutch of a tiny hand, eager to learn, eager to listen and sweating with the excitement of the adventures that are ahead. Any more questions?

3 Ways you can help us end 2009 strong

1. Donate. Make Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County part of your holiday giving! Dod know that children in Big Brothers Big Sisters programs are 46% less likely to begin using illegal drugs? Click here to Give $20 by 2010, and make a positive difference in the life of a vulnerable child today.

2. Help Now. Volunteer for our giftwrap fundraiser or stop by the Newburgh Mall from December 16th - 24th to have your gifts wrapped to support Big Brothers Big Sisters! You can also volunteer by applying to become a mentor and share in an experience like Bob's.

3. Pass it on. Already a mentor? Have you told a friend lately about your experience? This year, make a resolution to recruit a mentor for National Mentoring Month in January! You can also help by becoming our Facebook Friend and suggest the page to your contacts.

Old Navy, Ruby Tuesday, Build-A-Bear and Target Pitch in to Help A Family Through One-And-A-Million Program

Many families have it tough, especially in this economic environment. But when a stroke struck a mother of six young children, causing her to become wheelchair-bound, one local family's life was changed forever. Thanks to the generosity of Old Navy of Middletown, they were treated to a spiritual boost when the store showered the family with new clothes and much needed household items.

The Old Navy One-And-A-Million program, created by the company at the corporate level, gave each branch store $1,000 to use as they pleased to make their communities better. The branch located in the Middletown Galleria reached out to Nancy Kosloski, Executive Director of Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Orange County, to ask if she could identify a family that would benefit from this kind of outreach.

"The needs of this family came to mind right away as it has been a year-long journey of rehabilitation and juggling for them," said Nancy Kosloski. "I knew the opportunity was there to build some unexpected joy into their lives that would help lift their spirits, even if just a little."

Because the family's home is not handicapped-accessible, it is difficult for the children to go places with their mother. Old Navy's gift gave them a rare opportunity to spend an evening out, be together, and have fun as a family. When they arrived at the mall, they started to spend their $1,000 by picking out new clothes at Old Navy for everyone. There was enough left over to make a trip to Target, who gave them a discount on housewares. On top of that, the children got to go to Build-A-Bear to create new stuffed friends which were donated by the store. The evening was capped off with a trip to Ruby Tuesday for dinner, and all the food was generously provided at no charge by the restaurant.

At the end of the night, some of the burden had been lifted, and everyone went home a little fuller and a little happier.

In This Issue

End 2009 Strong!

Old Navy One-And-A-Million

National Mentoring Month

THANK YOU!

Find us on the Web

National Mentoring Month

January is national mentoring month! It is a time to reflect on why mentoring is important to you and how your efforts are making a difference in the lives of children. It's also a time to tell a friend about what you do! More information on ways to celebrate coming soon!

A Big thanks for the Little things you do:

IBM, for their Charitable Contribution Campaign, for the six helmets and hand-made bikes which will bring joy to our kids.

Old Navy, for thinking of our families for their generous One-And-A-Million campaign. (see story on left.)

Nutcracker ticket donations:

Melissa McCoy Garzione for 6 tickets to the Orange County Ballet Theatre, and

The Bardavon for 12 tickets to their show.

Our office has a new, modern fax machine thanks to Maureen Washburn.

Shoppers at Barnes & Noble of Newburgh for purchasing books at the book drive in support of our kids.

Car Donation Donors who keep the support coming in from www.donateacar.com.
United Way, CFC & SEFA Donors who chose Big Brothers Big Sisters as their charity of choice.

BFKS

We need your help to Bowl for Kids' Sake!

Save the Date!

Sunday, March 28, 2010 is Bowl For Kids' Sake, our biggest event of the year! Start thinking about your teams now!

Worried about raising enough money to have a team in this tight economy? Did you know that if you set aside $5 once a week from now until March 28, you will have saved $75 to use towards your team entry?