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“What Big Brothers Big Sisters can do by matching people with different backgrounds…is to help people and children understand how to meet people where they are and respect them for who they are.” - Judge Robert L. Wilkins
Judge Robert L. Wilkins was appointed to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in 2014. In his career, he has had an enormous impact on American Civil Rights law and also played a key role in the establishment of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Judge Wilkins is also a former Little Brother, matched with Big Brother David through BBBS of Greater Cincinnati. Check out the full video about their 45+ year friendship.
Judge Robert L. Wilkins was appointed to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in 2014. In his career, he has had an enormous impact on American Civil Rights law and also played a key role in the establishment of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Judge Wilkins is also a former Little Brother, matched with Big Brother David through BBBS of Greater Cincinnati. Check out the full video about their 45+ year friendship.
Weren't able to attend The BIG Recruitment virtual event on June 16th? Watch the recording here.
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For our September Match of the Month, meet Big Sister Angela Walthers and her Little Sister Harmony. They’ve been matched for just over a year and Angela has made a point to help Harmony explore all sorts of new activities. They’ve tried 3D printing at the library, visited a Cat Café in Covington and Angela taught Harmony how to make Hot Chocolate Bombs (chocolate spheres filled with cocoa and marshmallows, then covered with hot milk…yum!)
Angela, who works at St. Elizabeth Health Care, became a Big Sister because she knows how important it is for children to have caring adults in their lives. She says the two of them have a great friendship with open communication—they never run out of things to talk about. Now 13- years old, Harmony tells us she enjoys their time together and is happy to have someone she can talk to about anything. Harmony lives with her grandparents and her grandmother feels that, thanks to the time she spends with Angela, she’s “come out of her shell, and become much more confident.” Her grandmother says having someone consistently being there for Harmony to talk with, outside of the family, continues to have a lasting and positive impact on her.
Our thanks to Angela and Harmony for being part of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Cincinnati.
Angela, who works at St. Elizabeth Health Care, became a Big Sister because she knows how important it is for children to have caring adults in their lives. She says the two of them have a great friendship with open communication—they never run out of things to talk about. Now 13- years old, Harmony tells us she enjoys their time together and is happy to have someone she can talk to about anything. Harmony lives with her grandparents and her grandmother feels that, thanks to the time she spends with Angela, she’s “come out of her shell, and become much more confident.” Her grandmother says having someone consistently being there for Harmony to talk with, outside of the family, continues to have a lasting and positive impact on her.
Our thanks to Angela and Harmony for being part of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Cincinnati.
It’s not enough to say we are committed to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. We have to work intentionally and diligently to bring about change in our organization and our communities. To ignite the potential of all young people, we have to ensure all young people have the opportunity to have a strong mentoring relationship in their lives. We are actively working to promote justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion throughout our organization.
In 2016 Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) launched our LGBTQ Youth Mentoring Enhancement Initiative, funded by the Altria Group. This initiative was research-based, thoughtful, and deliberate. It was designed to ensure not just that LGBTQ youth and mentors would be accepted or tolerated within Big Brothers Big Sisters, but that they would be affirmed, understood, and celebrated. The initiative includes training opportunities, inclusive policies and procedures, and specific focus on anti-bullying, self-advocacy, and identity exploration.
In 2019, the National Football League Foundation selected Big Brothers Big Sisters as a recipient of their Social Justice Grant to grow programs that involved police officers as Bigs, could attract more male volunteers , or would help youth impacted by familial incarceration (Children with an Incarcerated Family Member). Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Cincinnati is proud to be part of the NFL's Inspire Change campaign, with a commitment to social and racial justice and ensuring access to opportunity is available to everyone.
We are grateful to the Altria Group, NFL "Inspire Change" Foundation, Macy's and United Way for their grants of support for our work to support justice, equity, diversity and inclusion.
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