In July 2021, we hosted our match graduation for our matches from 2019 through 2021! Although not all of our matches could be there, we had 20 of our matches and their families in attendance. It was a wonderful afternoon where our Bigs and Littles shared touching stories about each other and their match.
This event couldn’t have come together without the support of the community:
Thank you to Sourdough Co in Arden for donating all of the sandwiches for the graduation attendees.
Thank you to Nugget Markets, Safeway, Raley’s, Target, and Trader Joe’s for donating gift cards that were used to provide water, Gatorade, chips, cupcakes, and games for the event.
Hearing the stories from the graduated and graduating matches was truly inspirational! There was barely a dry eye in the house when we heard both Bigs and Littles talk about their experiences over the years of their match, and how their relationships impacted them in very meaningful ways. Don’t take our word for it, check out this video to hear their speeches:
Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater Sacramento Area and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northern Sierra teamed up to bring a thrilling fundraiser to Sacramento on August 7th, 2021 – Over the Edge! Supporters all over the Greater Sacramento area raised critical funds and got the amazing opportunity to rappel down the 16 story Residence Inn Sacramento Downtown at Capitol Park. This event brought in over $30,000 to our organization.
Over the Edge was exciting and thrilling, and many of our Edgers said it was one of the best fundraisers they had ever been to. This unique event demonstrates the importance of having a network of people who support you in your endeavors- just like our Bigs support their Littles through the challenges and opportunities in their lives!
You have to see it to believe! Check out these videos to see what Over the Edge was all about:
Click here to check out what Over the Edge was all about!
Check out the video from start to finish of Edger Matt Romsa!
This event would not have been possible without our amazing sponsors:
Are you having trouble finding a COVID-19 vaccination center? Click here to visit Vaccine finder for help finding clinics and pharmacies providing vaccinations. You can filter your results based on the type of vaccination and distance you are willing to travel. Once you have entered your zip code, you will be provided with a list of available locations and a notification as to whether the location has vaccine doses in stock.
The COVID-19 Pandemic has made accessing free or reduced cost programs much more difficult. Findhelp.org places all programs into one easy to use website. Click here and type in your zip code and easily access information for food assistance, housing assistance, health, transit, and more! They proudly provide information for 2,850 programs in the Sacramento area!
California Northstate University
Please make sure to check the university and county websites for directions.
Natomas High School – appointments are posted online every Tuesday at 9 AM. If you have questions, please email nusdcovidvaccinations@natomasunified.org.
The State of California has a detailed page including information pertaining to your specific county, testing locations, and vaccine information. Click here for the California State information. And view information pertaining to your county using the links below:
California Covid-19 Hotline: 1833-422-4255
If you are looking to help your child with Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math, STEM, Square Root Academy helps under-represented youth achieve academic excellence. For more information, visit the Square Root Academy here or contact admin@squarerootacademy.com.
Khan Academy is a free too to help your child with STEM subjects. Click here to learn more.
Visit Sacramento 365 to find specific activities both out in the community or streamed online. Explore age-specific festivals, performances, and activities all summer long!
The Sacramento Public Library hosts virtual activities fun for all ages. Every Wednesday and Thursday at 3:30pm youth can log in to the library’s Virtual Homework Zone where high school volunteer tutors are available to answer your child’s homework questions. The library also hosts virtual story times, book clubs, and skill-building workshops. A full calendar of Events can be found by clicking here.
With the virtual world leading the way, cyber bullying can be a huge threat to our youth.
Some of our older Littles may be starting to date. It is important for our parents, guardians, and Littles to recognize the signs of dating violence and have open conversations about the meaning of consent. Click here to visit My Sisters House to learn more.
Sacramento Youth Mental Health provides resources and videos to help teens deal with mental health struggles. The webinars available for viewing present topics specifically relating to COVID-19 distress, including youth-specific wellness practices in the webinar “Dealing with Distress During Distance Learning” and general resources for coping such as mindfulness apps and even a chatroom for LGBT+ youth looking to find acceptance. Click here to check out their resources.
National Alliance on Mental Illness provides guides for suicide prevention, self-care, navigating a mental health crisis, and more! You can text NAMI to 741-741 to connect with a trained crisis counselor 24/7 or call 1-800-273-8255 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Click here to learn more.
Lighthouse Counceling & Family Resource Center is a resource for Lincoln and Roseville residents. They offer no-to-low cost services provided in both English and Spanish.
BeWellLine: This resource provides virtual emotional and crisis support sessions to individuals and families for up to six “visits” by phone, online chat, or video call. They also have ongoing open group sessions on topics like loneliness, boosting resilience, and meditation and gratitude. Additionally, they are also hosting support groups for LGBTQ, Jewish, and substance abuse and recovery populations. These services are FEMA funded and are free for all Callifornians. Check it here!
Sacramento County Opioid Coalition: Click here to learn more.
Sacramento County Coalition for Youth’s Future Forward initiative provides facts and resources for substance use prevention for both teens and parents. The website provides guardians and mentors with resources such as conversation starters to begin talking to youth about the dangers of consumption. Visit Sacramento County Coalition for Youth here for more information.
Visit OMNI Youth Resources for resources and support here.
The State of California has created a free mobile app which connects students and families facing food insecurity with sites that are providing meals. You can download the CA Meals for Kids app on Google’s Play Store or Apple’s Apple Store.
The UnDocuScholars Research team at UCLA has created a resource for undocumented immigrants looking for emergency assistance during the COVID-19 crisis. The team has put together both nationwide and state-specific resources and emergency funds. Check out the document here.
Millions of people in the United States experience food, housing, and financial insecurity every year. Whether you need help paying one bill or many, or are looking for information to help someone else, you are not alone. Your local 211 agency has the most up-to-date information about local assistance that may be available to you. Simply call 211 to speak to someone now.
Millions Wellspring Women’s Center in Sacramento’s Oak Park neighborhood serves nearly 200 women and children each weekday and offers four different programs: the Nutritious Meal Program, the Children’s Corners Program, the Safety Net Services Program, and the Women’s Wellness Program. Click HERE to learn more about what they have to offer.
If you need support or help with your current match, please reach out to your Match Support Specialist:
We consistently post additional resources on our social media platforms.
Facebook: @BigBrothersBigSistersGreaterSacramento
LinkedIn: Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater Sacramento Area
Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater Sacramento Area (BBBS) hosted their first-ever Biggest Little Virtual Gala on Saturday, December 12th. Joined by over 100 supporters, friends and partners, CEO Dimitrius Stone and Pacific Auction Company emcee Steve Godfryd hosted an evening full of inspiration and fun, celebrating the impact that BBBS has on the community.
Dimitrius opened the evening by sharing the mission of Big Brother Big Sisters and showed us a fun video of our very own BBBS match Braylin and Kevin, where they reflected on their time together. Steve started off the live auction with inspiring enthusiasm, followed by a video about the impact of mentoring that left few dry eyes in the audience. We rounded out the evening with our traditional “Fund a Need” ask and closed with a fun game called “Last Hero”, where donors participated in a friendly competition to see who could make the final donation of the night!
If you happened to miss the evening, you can still enjoy all of the stories and enthusiasm in the video below!
Check out the Biggest Little Virtual Gala Here!
Thank you to everyone who tuned in to our Biggest Little Virtual Gala. Together, you made it possible to surpass our goal of $30,000 and raise an incredible $50.000 to support youth in our community! This event was critical to raise funds to help grow the BBBS program and support over 400 Littles who are currently waiting to be matched with a Big Brother or Big Sister. You are truly defenders of potential and we couldn’t be more grateful.
The Biggest Little Virtual Gala was made possible only with the support of our community and we want to extend a special thank you to our sponsors Western Health Advantage, SMUD, Downey Brand, and Golden1. In addition to our sponsors, we want to express our sincere appreciation to Steve Godfryd and his team at Pacific Auction Company who supported BBBS throughout the entirety of our virtual gala.
United Way California Capitol Region and US Bank teamed up to deliver blankets, scarves, hats, and gloves for the Little Brothers and Little Sisters in the BBBS program for their holiday gifts. CBS 13 shared this delivery story on December 15th, check out the story and interviews with Jason Park with US Bank and a BBBS Board Member, and Dimitrius Stone, the BBBS CEO in the link below.
An interview between Dimitrius Stone and Bonneville Radio aired on all four stations (105.1 KNCI, Mix 96, Now 100.5 & Sports 1140) on November 16th to discuss the importance of the Big Brothers Big Sisters program and how it helps the Little Brothers and Sisters understand that they are not alone and help set them up for success. Listen to it by clicking play below.
Access Local TV interviewed Dimitrius about our exhilarating Over the Edge fundraiser, where supporters will raise $1,000 to rappel down the 16-story Residence Inn in downtown Sacramento. Since the article came out, we have made the difficult decision to postpone the event until August 7th, 2021 due to city restrictions related to COVID-19. Supporters can still learn more about signing up to be an edger and check out the article using the buttons below.
CEO Dimitrius Stone and Big Sister Natasha participated in a podcast interview with Jeff Holden on the Non Profit Podcast Network. Dimitrius spoke of his experience as a Big Brother and his plans for Big Brothers Big Sisters to broaden the impact of the programs in the communities served. Natasha talked about her touching experience as a Big Sister through the amazing and challenging times with her Little Sister, she also shared inspiring changes she has seen over the past few months. You can listen to this tearjerker podcast using the button below.
CEO Dimitrius Stone, Little Brother Maliq, and Big Brother Ted enjoyed interviewing with Chris Hill from CBS 13 about how the Big Brothers Big Sister matches and organization are overcoming the hurdles of COVID-19. Maliq and Ted shared how they adjusted from their exciting outdoor activities to a more virtual way of staying connected, including working on calculus together. Despite all odds, Maliq states “Knowing mine and Ted’s mindset we’ll always overcome any challenge that we face”. Check out this uplifting message using the button below.
View the interview video here!
In early spring, Sacramento Business Journal made the exciting announcement that Dimitrius Stone was the new CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater Sacramento Area through a press release. Dimitrius Stone has been a Big Brother in the program for over five years, demonstrating he has lived and breathed the mission for years. In addition, he has experience as a Director of Programs at PRO Youth and Families, making him a perfect fit for the position. Check out the article in the button below.
Read about the announcement here!
The Big Brothers Big Sisters family hopes these videos, articles, and podcasts inspire you to support the Big Brothers Big Sisters mission as much as they inspire us to continue to fight for the potential of youth in our community. We love having the opportunity to share the story of our matches and appreciate your support.
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