Ready, set, mentor!
Lights, camera, hot chocolate and Timbits! What a day our Big Brothers of Greater Vancouver annual photoshoot was!
Five matches and their families, from two of our programs, joined us on a chilly November day in a cozy Gastown studio in downtown Vancouver.
It was a fun-filled event where we, Big Brothers of Greater Vancouver (BBGV) staff, got to meet our Littles, Bigs and their families while they in turn got to meet and mingled with each other!
A big day
For one match in particular this was an extra-special day.
Little, Cora, and her Big Buddy, Gisele, from our Teen Mentoring program have been matched for two years.
“We’ve been meeting virtually and this is our first time meeting in-person,” Gisele said.
It was an exciting moment for the two girls to meet for the very first time face-to-face. The pair naturally stepped right into playing with our blue and yellow balloons like they were long-time siblings reuniting at a family reunion.
Throughout the day, the two girls couldn’t contain their joy. They continually filled the room with their contagious giggling and ear-to-ear smiles.
Typically in their virtual one-on-one sessions, Cora and Gisele love playing word puzzle games and drawing magical creatures, but on this day the two stepped into their modeling shoes and took the stage.
An early start
Though only a teenager herself, Gisele is already no stranger to giving back to her community. She first began volunteering in our Teen Mentoring program three-years-ago after hearing great things about it from her older peers in school who had previously taken part in the program.
The experience Gisele had mentoring was even more positive than she had initially anticipated.
“It was a really, really good program and I really enjoyed my first year,” she said, adding it motivated her to continue in the program in the following year with another mentee.
“That’s how I got matched with Cora in the second year. Overall, I have to say it has been such a memorable experience because I have learned a lot,” Gisele said. “You learn new lessons along the way in terms of communicating, having fun, and respecting and listening to each other.”
If you’re a teen – or know one – who’d like to get involved in our Teen Mentoring program we still have lots of spaces open, but they’re filling up fast! We are also looking for Littles (students grade 1-7) to participate in this program, which runs both in-person and virtually throughout the school year.
You can learn more about the program online, watch teen testimonials, volunteer as a Teen Mentor, enroll a Little Buddy, or contact us directly with any questions!