Funding will provide technology to connect more children to virtual mentoring and tutoring resources
PURCHASE, NY, June 4, 2020 – Big Brothers Big Sisters of Family Services of Westchester (BBBS of FSW) has been awarded a $30,000 core mission grant by Impact100 Westchester as part of the Westchester women’s philanthropic collective’s 2020 grant cycle.
The one-year grant will be used to broaden and strengthen BBBS of FSW’s youth mentoring programs to meet the extraordinary challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Leveraging Technology for Online Mentoring and Training
The grant will support initiatives including: laptops with free Wi-Fi for “Littles” (mentees), college counseling and summer internship programs, online programming for children on the waitlist and expanded recruitment campaigns for new mentors.
“We are thrilled to be given the opportunity to expand our outreach to the children and families of Westchester who so desperately need us right now,” said Valerie A. Brown, Executive Director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Family Services of Westchester.
“With our waitlist growing by the day, Impact100’s funding will let us leverage technology to connect more children with online mentoring and tutoring resources and bring more flexibility to our adult mentor recruiting and training efforts,” she continued.
A Virtual Celebration for This Year’s Grant Finalists
Impact100’s own 7th Annual Meeting, where it announced its grant awards on June 2, 2020, was impacted by social distancing as well. The meeting, billed as a virtual celebration, was streamed via Zoom, with Impact100 members logging on to watch one-minute videos submitted by each of the 12 grant finalists.
“All of us here at Family Services of Westchester are honored to be in the company of such wonderful finalists doing such important work at such a critical time,” noted Polly Kerrigan, President and CEO of FSW.
In addition to Big Brothers Big Sisters of FSW, this year’s Impact100 Westchester finalists included the Boys and Girls Club of New Rochelle, Cerebral Palsy of Westchester, Community Resource Center, Greyston Foundation, HOPE Community Services, Human Development Services, Mount Vernon Neighborhood Health Center, Port Chester Carver Center, Westchester Medical Center Foundation, YWCA White Plains & Central Westchester and the YWCA of Yonkers.
About Big Brothers Big Sisters
Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) is a youth mentoring program operated under the umbrella of Family Services of Westchester. Since 1958, BBBS has matched adult volunteers (Bigs) with young people, ages 7 – 17 (Littles) to help children reach their potential through professionally supported one-to-one mentoring relationships that have been proven to positively impact youth throughout their lives. Learn more about BBBS at BigsWestchester.org.
About Family Services of Westchester
Family Services of Westchester (FSW) is a private, nonprofit social services agency, committed to serving the Westchester County community since 1954. Headquartered in Purchase, N.Y., FSW’s mission is to strengthen and support families, children and individuals at every stage of the life cycle through innovative social services and mental health programs, including adoption and foster care for children, Head Start, Big Brothers Big Sisters, My Second Home adult day care, veterans services, HIV/AIDS support services and restorative justice programs. Learn more about Family Services of Westchester at fsw.org.
About Impact100 Westchester
Impact100 Westchester is a 501c (3) nonprofit, women’s collective giving organization whose mission is to engage women in philanthropy and collectively fund charitable initiatives in the Westchester region.