LITTLE NEWSBIG&

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Mercer CountyBuilding better schools, brighter futures, and a stronger Mercer County Summer 2009 Newsletter

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S DESK

2009Autumn Culinaire

Thursday, October 15, 2009 6:00 - 9:30pm

Greenacres Country Club, Lawrenceville

Tasting of over 150 select wine & international beers

SAVE THE DATE

$85/person

Make your reservations now!Visit www.bbbsmercer.org

or call 609-656-1000

Sponsorships also available.

ADULT LITTLES ARE MORE SUCCESSFULHarris Interactive ®

Susan M. Dunning

Here at BBBS-Mercer, we learn about the value of our work when we talk with our Bigs, our Littles, their families, and their teachers. We know having a Big Brother or Sister helps kids succeed in life. Now, a recent research study done nationally by Harris Interactive® gives us scienti�c data on how BBBS mentors impact the lives of the mentees for years after they leave the program. Findings showed that adults mentored through Big Brothers Big Sisters are more likely than peers with similar backgrounds who were not in our programs to have four-year college degrees and incomes of $75,000 or more. They are more likely to volunteer in their communities and they also report stronger relationships with their spouses, children, and friends. Additional information about the Harris Interactive® study can be found on our website, www.bbbsmercer.org.

Dear Friends:

Thanks to the support of our donors and volunteers, BBBS-Mercer achieved 40% program growth in 2008 and was recognized as a top performing agency in the nation for its third consecutive year.

We provided long-term mentors to 532 children in 2008 and we are well on our way to serving 600 children in 2009. However, we are feeling the pinch of a stressed economy and are falling well short of our �nancial goals. We hope you will consider donating so that we may continue to provide a high level of service to our community’s most valuable resource – the children.

Your donations support necessary interviews, criminal background and reference checks of all potential Big Brothers and Sisters. They also support professional case managers who develop individual plans for each child based on his or her needs. The case managers work with the child, the child’s family and the mentor to document and monitor the relationship to ensure the child is moving in a healthy direction. Donations also allow us to provide an average of six to eight annual events for our Bigs and Littles so we can observe �rst hand our Bigs and Littles in action.

On behalf of all of us at BBBS-Mercer, I thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter so that you can learn more about the work we are doing. I wish all of you a safe and happy summer!

Warm regards,

THANK YOU TYCO

STAFFEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Susan DunningDIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT Jacqueline BrendelDIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY PROGRAMS Kim Cody DIRECTOR OF SCHOOL PROGRAMS Prema Ramroop CASE MANAGER Tara BelfordCASE MANAGER Jasmyne BivinsCASE MANAGER/RECRUITER Nancy CoxCASE MANAGER Joseph FaulknorCASE MANAGER Beth Lawrence-GillBILINGUAL CASE MANAGER Ariel MatosCUSTOMER RELATIONS Denise Ratti

BOARD OF DIRECTORSPRESIDENT Shawn M. NeufeldVICE-PRESIDENT Mark A. LockettSECRETARY Tina BalthazarTREASURER Carl LockettEdward L. BensonJames BortolottiJohn H. BuschmanSarah Cooper

Christopher FlorioRuby HofmannThomas J. Irwin Beatrice JonesStephen KleinLindsay MartinDavid C. MaxwellMichael P. PetraneJohn PuzioDebbie L. Runyon Marsha StoltmanLeon WilliamsJim Yadlon

BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS OF MERCER COUNTY

535 East Franklin AveTrenton, NJ 08610

WEB www.bbbsmercer.orgPHONE 609-656-1000FAX 609-656-1122EMAIL friends@bbbsmercer.org

NEWSLETTER DESIGN Dan Eckrote

2 SALT CREEK GRILLE

Photograph Courtesy of Mercer Business Magazine

(L to R) BBBS-Mercer Executive Director, Sue Dunning; BBBS-Mercer Board President, Shawn Neufeld; Tyco President & CEO, Ed Breen; Tyco Vice President Corporate Communications, Paul Fitzhenry; and Tyco Communications Coordinator, Sandra Baumann.

Our Salt Creek Grille fundraiser, A Summer Charity Classic, was a great opportunity for us to thank a very generous corporate partner – Tyco International. BBBS Board President Shawn Neufeld presented Tyco’s CEO, Ed Breenour programs.

“For several years now, Tyco has provided grants, and its employees have participated by raising funds and bowling in our annual Bowl for Kids’ Sake,” said Neufeld. “This year alone, Tyco and its employees have donated over $30,000 to BBBS-Mercer.”

Our great friends among the Tyco employees include Big Sisters Laura Lonsdale and Susana Garcia; also Sandra Baumann and Loretta Ashley who recently served on the committee organizing the Summer Charity Classic. Thank you, Tyco!

Earlier this year, the Salt Creek Grille in Princeton announced that it designated Big Brothers Big Sisters of Mercer County (BBBS-Mercer) as its 2009 charity. The restaurant launched a year-long fundraiser to generate awareness and funds for BBBS-Mercer. Salt Creek Grille is donating $1 from every order of its Herb Roasted Chicken dish on both its lunch and dinner menus to BBBS-Mercer. In addition, this month the Salt Creek Grille hosted a

fundraiser, A Summer Charity Classic, donating 100% of its food, services, and proceeds to Big Brothers Big Sisters. We’d like to thank General Manager Hugh Preeceall of their hard work on our behalf. We encourage all of our friends and supporters to visit Salt Creek Grille to enjoy its fabulous dishes,

highly recommend the Herb Roasted Chicken.

Lawrence Lexus Mercedes-Benz of Princeton

Open Road BMW

The winning ticket will be drawn on Saturday, September 26, 2009, 9:00 pm at the Salt Creek Grille in Princeton Forrestal Village. The winner need not be present.

You can purchase tickets through our secure website at www.bbbsmercer.org, or by calling 609-656-1000.

Pick your

Make &

Model!

Only 1,499 tickets will

be sold!Win a Car!

WHEELS FOR OUR KIDS

3BBBS-MERCER BRINGS HOME THE GOLD

Left: Sue Dunning receiving the Pinnacle Award from Kate Snow of Good Morning America

Right: Recieving “Board of the Year” award. (L to R) BBBSA President, Judy Vredenburgh; BBBS-Mercer Board Member, Debbie Runyon; BBBS-Mercer Board President, Shawn Neufeld; BBBS-Mercer Executive Director, Sue Dunning; and former Pittsburgh Steeler, Lynn Swann.

Employees at Bracco Diagnostics

new bikes, helmets, bike locks, balloons, cookies and drinks. As part of a team building exercise, employees built custom bikes based age, height and gender. Of course, they had no idea they were building bikes for “real” customers. Imagine their surprise when our Littles entered the room at the end of their exercise. To add to the fun, our Littles had no idea that they were about to receive bikes made especially for them. Needless to say

big smiles. We thank Bracco

On June 17th at the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America national conference in Miami Florida, BBBS-Mercer was honored for its program growth and quality. We were one of only two agencies (out of 400) to meet the Gold Standard as a top performing agency three consecutive years and received our second Pinnacle Award to commemorate this accomplishment. In addition, our Board of Directors was named the 2009 Big Brothers Big Sisters of America Board of the Year.

"This amazing honor says as much about our community as it does about our board and BBBS Mercer. It takes an entire community of dedicated supporters to provide the necessary resources for volunteers, children and their families that sets our

community as a whole," said BBBS-Mercer Board President, Shawn Neufeld.

Diagnostics and its employees for bringing a great deal of happiness

kids.

Danielle Gletow and her sta� have

with a new non-pro�t, One Simple

Kieling Family Foundation Klatzkin and Company Steve Klein

Kyle Paul Architects Judith C. Lewent Amy Lindsay Rose and Louis H. Linowitz Fdn.Linus B. Gilbert Foundation Teri Loxam Shiferaw Gebre MariamDavid Mathey Foundation

Tamara and Joseph Matteo

McMaster Carr Alex Melusky Merck Partnership for Giving Kim and Keith Miller Donna and Tom Murray New Jersey Manufacturers Newmark Knight Frank Novo Nordisk NRG The Olsen Foundation Dilsara Pathirana PNC Bank

Hugh Preece Amper Poliziner & Mattia Darin Artman Diana Black Bloomberg

Mary Owen Borden Foundation Bordman Perlman Katia BovenBW Electronics Bristol Myers Squibb Bunbury Foundation John Buschman

Capital Health Systems Church and Dwight Robert Ciatto, Sr. Sara Cooper & Michael Delehanty

David Lauer and Company

Margaret Doig Ernst and Young FirmenichFox Rothschild Gallup Organization The Get Together Group Goldman Sachs

Greenbaum Rowe

JanssenJerome Kelley

Princeton Area Community Fdn.Princeton Hydro Provident Bank PSE&G Red Wolf Design Group Risk Loss Managers Bill Robertshaw Greg Rogerson Roma Bank Foundation Rue FoundationDebbie & Bill RunyonFred C. Rummel Foundation Jane and Aaron Ryan Salt Creek Grille Shiseido Sovereign Bank Richard Spears Stark and Stark TD Bank Deborah Terhune

Trenton Funders' Collaborative Tyco International UPS URS Washington Division Wachovia Foundation Michael Walsted

Jim Yadlon and Family

MORE BIG THANK YOUS

BBBS Mercer would like to

acknowledge our friend, Joanne

Dailey, LCSW, who provided

counseling to one of our adolescent

Little Sisters free of charge. Joanne

is a psychotherapist practicing in

Princeton.

Recently BBBS formed a partnership

Wish (OSW). OSW was created to

grant simple wishes to children and

families in need. Thus far, founder

arranged for an ice cream party

and trip to Six Flags for the student

mentors and mentees in our Trenton

Central High School project, AMC

Gift Cards, Applebees gift cards,

and event tickets for our Big and

Littles and have granted requests for

special wishes made by individual

matches. If you are interested in

getting more information or helping

please visit the OSW website at

www.onesimplewish.org.

Finally, we’d like to say thank you

and farewell to Lynne Wildenboer

who has retired from our Board of

Directors. Lynne was instrumental

in getting our Adopt a Match

company, Red Wolf Design, to

create and produce the campaign’s

brochure last fall. We will miss her

enthusiasm and drive, and we wish

her well in the future.

A BIG THANK YOU TO OUR DONORSWe always say that our volunteers are the heart of our organization, and that is very true. We have dedicated volunteer Bigs who contribute so much of themselves to their Littles every day. But, we can never forget that BBBS-Mercer is a donor-supported volunteer organization. We rely on monetary donations from our community to support the work of our professional case managers who recruit, interview, screen, and train our volunteers and provide support

This year has been a tough one economically for many people and businesses here in Mercer County. So we are especially grateful to our many donors who have continued to support us. Of course, we have felt the impact of the economic downturn and have lost our

we can maintain our services to the children and families of Mercer County who depend on us.

4

Joseph Kelly

Reginald Brown

Neil Butterklee

Ralph DeCesare

Scott Weschler

Michael and Nati Kushner

GPSG-NA

A-Z Radiator Air Cond Inc

Below is a partial listing of some of the people and

thank all of our generous donors for their support of our events and programs throughout the past year including those recognized below for contributions of $500 or more:

Harbourton Foundation

(a unit of Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc-Johnson & Johnson)

A LITTLE LETTER |

ALUMNI ZONECALLING ALL FORMER BIGS, LITTLES, BOARD MEMBERS

BBBS Mercer is reconnecting with our alumni. If you are or you know anyone who was part of our organization as a Big, Little or Board Member over our 37 years of operation here in Mercer County,

opportunity to bring together BBBS alumni for a reunion event sometime in the next year. Contact us at friends@bbbsmercer.org or call 609-656-1000.

5

“One of the most significant experiences of my life has been my experience with Cliff Cramer, my “big” from the Big Brother Big Sister program. This program is a mentoring program, designed to guide youth facing the varied challenges we face in today‛s society. When I was six years old, my mother signed me up for this wonderful program. She wanted a Big Brother to provide fatherly guidance, enabling me to participate in opportunities I would not have otherwise. Since I was matched with Cliff Cramer, he has encouraged me to persevere and conquer challenges by supporting choices I make and building my self-confidence. The experience of being Cliff‛s “Little” has also taught me the very meaning of friendship. Over the years, our friendship has gotten stronger by sharing our lives and making special memories. I have learned to trust through heart-to-heart talks. The laughs we have shared provided me with much-needed comic relief in times of stress. Cliff and I have also shared special times at local parks; Princeton University Art Museum; the Grounds for Sculpture; the library; Big Brother Big Sister events; and even the State House. Last spring I had the opportunity to speak at the State House on behalf of Big Brothers Big Sisters, relating how significant the experience has been for me. Cliff has impacted my life so greatly that I don‛t know what I would do without him. I will always be grateful for the experience I‛ve had as Cliff‛s “Little.” “To the world you are one person, but to one person you may be the world.” This best sums up the impact Cliff Cramer has had on my life.”

FORMER MERCER LITTLE MAKES IT BIG!BBBS- Mercer would like to extend its congratulations and best wishes to a former Little Brother, Jim Himes. Jim Himes recently became US Congressman Jim Himes of Connecticut’s 4th District. The Congressman was a Little Brother here in Mercer County thirty years ago. Jim grew up as a child of a single working mom. He was mentored by a student from Princeton University. After graduating from Hopewell Valley High School, he attended Harvard University and studied at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. Jim was a Vice President

Over the years, BBBS has remained close to Jim’s heart. He recently

create a video to help promote our youth mentoring programs.

Wesley Holman age 13 has been in our program for seven years. Wesley recently completed a program application and had to answer

response to that question.

PICNIC

A BIG THANK YOU TO OUR 2009 BFKS SPONSORS!

EVENT SPONSORSSovereign BankTycoNewmark Knight Frank

GPSG-NA

LANE SPONSORSTC BankReed SmithFox RothschildQuality ExpressPepsi

Mary Reiling, Lisa Hulbert, Robert Koch, Linda Pesci & Donna MurrayCapital Health SystemsBillTrustPrinceton Weight LossMercer County Association of RealtorsFirst Choice BankRE Carrolla Nilson GMAC

BOWL FOR KIDS’ SAKE 2009Over 200 of our friends and supporters joined us on March 21 at

the Hamilton Lanes in Hamilton, NJ for our annual Bowl for Kids’

Sake and helped us raise nearly $30,000 to support our youth

mentoring programs. We were pleased to have Sovereign Bank

return again this year as our presenting sponsor along with their

employees who raised funds and brought out over a dozen teams.

BBBS Mercer Board member, Debbie Runyon came through for us

again as our event chair.

Boomer and Miss Mercer County, Katie Berry, face painting and

crafts by Girl Scout Troop 71885, West Windsor-Plainsboro, and

music courtesy of DJ T-Bone. Assemblywoman Linda Greenstein

stopped by to say hello and thank our volunteer Big Brothers and

Sisters for their commitment to their Littles and our community.

We’d like to thank everyone who raised money and participated

as well as our event and lane sponsors (listed to the right) for

helping to make the day a success.

6

NEW WEBSITE UNVEILED

Check it out now at www.bbbsmercer.org

BBBS-Mercer recently unveiled a new look and layout for their website, www.bbbsmercer.org. The new design allows for more frequent updates as well as additional content. Be sure to check out the website and visit often!

Our Executive Director, Susan Dunning, once again delivered a bright and beautiful day for our annual picnic on May 31st at Valley Road Park. Over 170 Bigs and Littles enjoyed an afternoon of food, fun and games. We thank Girl Scout Troop 71885,

West Windsor-Plainsboro who volunteered their time to plan and run many of the games. Winners in our three-legged race received tickets to a skybox at a Trenton Thunders game courtesy of Board member John Buschman. According to Program Director Kim Cody, “The picnic is a perfect event for the matches; it is so wonderful to see all of them getting together and having fun.”

(a unit of Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc-Johnson & Johnson)

The afternoon included visits from the Trenton Thunder’s

IN MEMORIAM

Big Brothers Big Sisters is mourning the passing of two great friends: Dr. Brian Miller and Lawrence Oring.

Dr. Miller passed away in April. He was a wonderful Big Brother to his Little Brother, Chadd, and a volunteer in

dreams and goals, and will be greatly missed. His relationship with Chadd was priceless and his death was a tragic loss for our entire family. Chadd misses him and still talks about him.”

In June, we lost Lawrence Oring, a former member of BBBS- Mercer’s Board of Directors. Board member Jim Yadlon said of Larry, “He was a wonderful humble man who made the priorities in his life his family, his career and Big Brothers Big Sisters. We who knew him always admired his dedication to BBBS and all of the goals that BBBS represented. Needless to say, we will all miss Larry and his wisdom and his love for BBBS- Mercer. He will be irreplaceable.”

WELCOME NEW BOARD MEMBERS

welcomed three new members to its award-winning Board of Directors: Jim Bartolotti of First Choice Bank, Mike Petrane of Ernst and Young, and David Maxwell, who is retired and the former President of R.C. Maxwell Co. “We are delighted to welcome our newest members and look forward to their input and support as we continue to grow our programs and improve our quality of service,” said Board President Shawn Neufeld.

OUR BIG STORY | Marianne & QuadirMarianne is a 28 year old graduate of Cornell, the youngest of four children, and works in the

pharmaceutical industry. Quadir is an eight year old boy who lives with his mother in Trenton.

They were matched by BBBS in 2007.

Did you have in your background a non-family member who was important to your development, like

a Big Brother or Big Sister?

Well, I came to understand the importance of others’ help through my family’s emigration from Saigon. My

father died young; my family was sponsored by a Catholic organization who welcomed us to Massachusetts.

7

I think of their help with deep gratitude. And my mother raised us

as a single mother; her struggle to keep our family together helps

me appreciate issues that Quadir’s mom faces. My mother is an

life. My siblings and I are merely extensions of her life's success.

Read the rest of Marianne & Quadir’s story, as well as more BIG stories at www.bbbsmercer.org

ADOPT A MATCH

Our Adopt-A-Match campaign provides local businesses and individuals with an opportunity to directly support one of our Big/Little mentoring matches. It costs an average of $1000 to recruit, screen, and provide professional case management and BBBS-sponsored activities to one match each year. Supporters who donate $1000 to BBBS-Mercer

We will also place their name in a full page campaign ad in Mercer Business Magazine in the fall. Companies can

funds. This is a great opportunity for a team building activity that shows community spirit!

This year, BBBS of Mercer County

“Little Moments, Big Magic”

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

Research study on the

mentoring PAGE 1

Congratulations to the Board of the Year PAGE 3

Calling all formerBigs & Littles PAGE 5

Littles receive new bikescourtesy of Bracco DiagnosticsPAGE 3

2009Autumn Culinaire

October 15, 2009Details on PAGE 1

BBBS-Mercer thanks Tyco

International for their

support PAGE 2

A BIG thank you to all of ourdonors & supporters PAGE 4

Our BIG Story: Marianne &Quadir PAGE 7

Win a Car!

Drawing on Sept. 26, 2009Details on PAGE 3

Recap of our Picnic andBFKS events PAGE 6

INSIDETHIS

ISSUE

BBBS-MERCER IS GOING GREEN

Would you like to help BBBS-Mercer “go green”? Please visit our website and click on the “Go Green” link to sign up to receive our future newsletters via email. Thank you!

Go Green!

VISIT www.bbbsmercer.org CALL 609-656-1000 EMAIL friends@bbbsmercer.org