“Little Moments, Big Magic”

BIGLITTLE NEWS

&Big Brothers Big Sisters of Mercer County

Our 2009 BFKS will take place on March 28th. BFKS is a fun and easy way to raise funds for and awareness

of the youth mentoring programs provided by BBBS Mercer. Invite family, friends, co-workers, classmates,

etc. to join in. Information about bowling, organizing a team, or being a sponsor is available at our website

or by calling 609.656.1000.

Bowl For Kids Sake 2009

Learn more and register online at www.BFKSmercer2009.kintera.org

I wanted to let you how grateful we all are at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Mercer County for your support in 2008. For the third successive year, we were able to achieve a record level of growth in our programs, thanks to our volunteers, donors and dedicated sta� and Board of Directors.

I am delighted to report that we were able to grow our one-to-one mentoring program 40% in 2008. There were 532 children matched with a caring mentor (“Big”) who provides these children with guidance, friendship and advice, versus the alternatives of despair, drugs and dropping-out.

For 2009, we have set a goal to serve more than 600 children in Mercer County. The current economic times are challenging for everyone– including us – but we have so much to be grateful for this year. Thanks to you, hundreds of children have been given the guidance and tools to change their lives for the better.

Even more noteworthy, we measure the impact of the match relationship using a validated and reliable instrument designed by BBBS-National and

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S DESK | Susan Dunningthe United Way. Of the parents and mentors who completed the survey in 2008, the results show that of the children who participated in our program for a minimum of one year:

o 90% were more self-con�dent, o 82% had an improved sense of the future, o 77% improved their attitude toward school o 78% improved their academic performance, o 72% were more able to avoid substance abuse, and o 80% improved relationships with peers and 64% with adults.

On behalf of everyone associated with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Mercer County, including our sta�, our Board of Directors, our volunteers, and most especially, the many children we serve, I o�er you our profound thanks for your ongoing commitment to our mission.

Susan M. Dunning

INSIDETHIS

ISSUE

AGENCY WINS AWARDHamilton Twp. recognizes BBBS of Mercer County as the “Non-pro�t of the Year” for 2008. Read Sue Dunning’s remarks inside.

AUTUMN CULINAIRE RECAPEvent in October was a huge success, including food and wine tasting. John Franzini and Carmen Calvimontes were named the Greg Olsen Big Brother and Big Sister of the Year.

LUCKY SAFARI WINNERSix-day safari trip to South Africa is ra�ed o� at Autumn Culinaire event. Ra�e raises over $33,000. BBBS Mercer thanks generous support of contributors for making this possible.

OUR BIG STORYRead this issue’s touching story about one of our matches, Nakia & Diamond.

CAR RAFFLE Our annual car ra�e raised $58,000 to help fund our mentoring programs.

OUR BIG STORY | Nakia & Diamond

Big Brothers Big Sistersof Mercer County535 East Franklin Ave.Trenton, NJ 08610

Visit us online at www.bbbsmercer.orgCall us at 609-656-1000from BBBS Mercer!

Happy New Year

BBBS of Mercer County Sta�Susan Dunning – Executive DirectorJacqueline Brendel – Director of DevelopmentKim Cody – Director of Community ProgramsPrema Ramroop – Director of School ProgramsTara Belford – Case ManagerJasmyne Bivins – Case ManagerNancy Cox – Case Manager/RecruiterJoseph Faulknor – Case ManagerBeth Lawrence-Gill – Case Manager Ariel Matos – Case ManagerDenise Ratti – Customer RelationsKatie Rice – Intern, Notre Dame HSStephanie Rosato – Student Recruiter, RiderRichard Sabatini – Student Recruiter, TCNJ

Board of DirectorsShawn M. Neufeld – PresidentMark A. Lockett – Vice PresidentFaustina Balthazar – SecretaryCarl E. Lockett – TreasurerEdward L. Benson, Jr.John H. BuschmanSara E. K. CooperCli� CramerChristopher FlorioRuby HofmannThomas J. Irwin Beatrice JonesStephen N. Klein, CPALindsay MartinJohn A. PuzioDebbie Runyon Marsha StoltmanLynne WildenboerLeon WilliamsJim Yadlon

Nakia is an African-American attorney from Trenton currently working in municipal government. Her father’s military career ensured that she attend many di�erent schools both here and abroad, before graduating from Trenton High. The �rst in her family to attend college, she earned her undergraduate degree at the University of Maryland and a Juris Doctorate from Harvard Law School.

Did you have in your background a non-family member who was important to your development, like a Big Brother or Sister? No, not really, but I loved school and had great teachers who really took an interest in me. It’s embarrassing to admit, but in elementary school I used to cry on the last day.

Who introduced you to BBBS? I �rst heard about the program while in college, but I found the Mercer chapter of BBBS while searching a web-site for local volunteer opportunities when I moved back last year. While living in D.C., I served as a mentor in a program that helped kids prepare for college and really enjoyed the experience, so I wanted to get involved with something similar here.

Why did you think mentoring a child was something you’d like to do? I think it’s so important to cultivate the potential in children and provide them with positive reinforcement. If I wasn’t a lawyer, I’d be a teacher. I wanted to give back by being a friend to someone much like my younger self.

What sort of experiences have you shared with your Little Sister, from the most routine to the most unusual? Well, we both love to eat and to shop. We’ve made pizzas, hung out at the mall and played video games. She really enjoyed dining at a Chinese restaurant and drinking tea out of the little cups. Whenever she gets gift cards or money from her family she likes me to take her shopping. We do things that give us an opportunity to have fun, but we also talk about anything that might be going on in her life. I try to come up with fun things to do that don’t cost much and while I usually treat her, her grandmother always gives her some money when she knows we’ll be doing something that requires it. Our big summer outing was a trip to Madam Tussaud’s in NYC, where we took a ton of pictures with “famous people”. We had a great time.

What gives you the greatest satisfaction/pleasure about your relationship with your Little? Seeing a smile on her face and hearing the excitement in her voice when we do things together, knowing that I’m having a positive impact on her life. We have similar senses of humor, so it’s fun when we get each other laughing and cracking jokes.

How do you think your Little would answer that question? I think she would say that she enjoys our times together. On the days we meet up, she calls me early, excited and ready to go. She also seems very proud to introduce me as her Big Sister; she’s even told me that she loves me.

Building better schools, brighter futures, and a stronger Mercer County Winter 2009 Newsletter