LINCOLN – The Big Brothers Big Sisters of Rhode Island 60th anniversary celebration last Thursday, Oct. 22, raised more than $100,000 for the organization’s mentoring programs.
The Big Breakfast at Kirkbrae Country Club was the largest BBBSRI has had, said Ray Nuñez, chief advancement officer, fractional, for the organization, with more sponsors and attendees than ever, and energy through the roof.
Nuñez said this was a celebration of the work pairing thousands of caring adults with young people who are full of potential, not for compensation, but because the work matters. Mentoring isn’t about saving young people, he said, but helping to give them a fighting chance in a world where opportunities are scarce.
“A huge thank you to everyone who attended, sponsored, volunteered, donated, and supported,” said BBBSRI staff. “Because of your generosity and commitment, more young people across Rhode Island will have access to caring mentors and life-changing opportunities. Thanks to your generosity, we raised over $100,000 for our mentoring programs.”
They’re asking people to keep the momentum going from last week’s breakfast by becoming a Big Believer or by donating clothing and small household items.
During the breakfast, Nuñez laid out a challenge to attendees, saying there are more than 200 boys on the waiting list for a Big (mentor). For anyone who has ever considered mentoring, he said, now is the time.
This isn’t about pairing a random kid with an adult, he said, but about matching young people up with those who will invest for the long haul. The challenge, he said, is to scale the effort and eliminate the waitlist.
On Tuesday, Nuñez reminded everyone of the concerning data points he shared in front of 350-plus people last week, including the 200 boys still on the waiting list and one in three youth not having access to a mentor.
“If you have the means, skip a coffee or two a month and consider becoming one of our Big Believers,” he said. “Twenty dollars a month can directly help us meet this moment and help more young people match with a mentor. It takes less than 3 minutes. Sign up right now at bigsri.org/bigbelievers.
At the breakfast, Nuñez highlighted BBBSRI’s sophisticated donation center, and the six trucks with drivers that go out to pick up items five days per week from their various bins.
The center accounts for 70 percent of BBBSRI’s annual operating income, which supports impactful one-to-one mentoring relationships throughout Rhode Island and raises more than $175,000 for local Rhode Island and Massachusetts nonprofit organizations and keeps 3-5 million pounds of waste out of the landfill.
BBBSRI honored the following individuals at the Oct. 22 event, and their interviews on why they do what they do:
• Mike Hayes and Frank Adamo, Savers – Bonney B. Sevellon Award for Creative Impact
• Alison Reuter, FGX International – Lynne Camillo Award for Volunteerism
• Rosie Fernandez – Brendan Kane Award for Philanthropic Leadership
• General Treasurer James Diossa – C. Paul Oberg Award for Mission Advancement
• Scott Duhamel – Michael F. Sabitoni Award for Natural Mentoring
Katje Afonseca, CEO of BBBSRI, spoke of three lessons she learned from her own mentor, former boss Jim Mathes, from her early days in mentoring. The lessons were:
• Stop uptalk, where you end sentences in a higher pitch, turning them into a question. You could have a lot of great information, but no one will listen if you keep asking questions;
• Hire people, then train them well and get out of their way;
• And be the face of mentoring.
She’s been the face of BBBSRI for a decade, Afonseca said, but one face isn’t enough. The world has changed, she added, and people don’t just get involved because a CEO tells them to. She encouraged attendees to join her as the face, to tell others about that day’s honorees, to spread the word about BBBSRI when a coworker is looking for something to get involved with, to embrace the cause every day in a multitude of ways. Young people need everyone working together as the face, she said, thanking those in attendance for their part.
