'Big Brothers Big Sisters' Program Provides Mentorship For Oklahoma Children

The Big Brothers Big Sisters program has been helping making a difference in the lives of Green Country children for nearly 70 years.

Tulsa Area Director Abi Sutherland joins us on the Coca-Cola Porch to share more about the program and what's planned for the spring season.

What is Big Brothers Big Sisters?

"Big Brothers Big Sisters of Oklahoma is a 501c3 nonprofit that builds meaningful relationships between volunteer mentors (Bigs) and children (Littles) who need help with self-esteem, decision-making, and other areas of life. Our one-to-one mentoring program is the nation's largest donor and volunteer-supported mentoring network. It is recommended by the CDC and supported by the Department of Juvenile Justice."

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"The Littles in our program have often experienced adverse childhood experiences, such as physical abuse, parental incarceration, or exposure to domestic violence. These adverse childhood experiences negatively impact a person not only in their childhood, but all the way through adulthood. If an individual has 2 or more adverse childhood experiences, they are at a greater risk as an adult to abuse substances, experience depression, and even be diagnosed with heart disease. A Big helps change a child's trajectory by giving them a positive mentor who offers them consistency and compassion."

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How long has Big Brothers Big Sisters been in Tulsa?

"Big Brothers Big Sisters of Oklahoma combined the multiple offices across the state that were under Big Brothers Big Sisters of America in 2006. However, the Big Brothers Big Sisters program has been in the Tulsa area since the late 1950s."

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What events are coming up for the nonprofit?

"Taste of Tulsa is our annual fundraising event where community leaders and members come together to celebrate our mission. This is the 40th year for Taste of Tulsa and we are excited to showcase 35+ hand-selected restaurants who will be offering our city's finest tastes and sips to guests along with auctions and live entertainment. Taste of Tulsa will be held on April 26, 2024 at the Cox Business Convention Center at 6:00 PM. Sponsorships and tickets are available to be purchased through our website, www.tasteoftulsa.org."

Are volunteers/mentors needed?

"We are always striving to recruit more Big Brothers and Big Sisters for our program. We currently have 94 Littles waiting to be matched with a Big Brother or Big Sister. Over 75% of them are Little Brothers. Anyone interested in becoming a Big or learning more about our program can visit our website at www.bigoklahoma.org.

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We also have our Big Alumni Network where we are reconnecting, reengaging, and reigniting potential in Oklahoma. If anyone is a former Big or Little in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program, we would love to reconnect with them to keep them updated on networking opportunities and the continued success of our organization. For more information, they can visit our website www.bigoklahoma.org/bigalumniok."

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CLICK HERE for more information about the Big Brothers Big Sisters program.