YEAR IN REVIEW 

BBBS continued to see our fair set of chal​lenges throughout 2021.  With the rise and fall of COVID cases, we were never able to find a steady rhythm of inquiries of volunteers, leading to being unable to match as many Bigs and Littles together as we had hoped.  That said, we have tried to spend time focused on that we can control, our quality metrics.
 
We are happy to report that BBBS of Washtenaw County received the Quality Award from Big Brothers Big Sisters of America in 2021, and again in 2022.  We are so proud of this recognition, as our staff have been working hard on a Mentoring Toolkit, to increase our 12-month retention rate by helping Bigs and Littles grow a stronger relationship from their very first meeting. 
 
In addition, in 2021, our Board and Staff participated in several Strategic activities, completed an organizational health and DEI survey to better understand the position of the organization and added several important goals to our Strategic Plan.  First, to innovate through creating programming for targeted demographics of youth and volunteers wanting to support them.  Secondly, to better engage each other (Board & Staff) and the Community through committee work.  And thirdly, to strengthen our organization by creating a collaborative Board/Staff committee to advance our JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion) work.
 
Despite the challenges of the last several years, we have continued to work hard to position ourselves for greater growth and a stronger impact on the mentoring relationships that we create and support.  As we move through 2022, we hope and believe in a bigther future, as we know that we are BIGGER TOGETHER.

​Onward and upward, 
Jennifer Spitler,
​Executive Director
Gregg Hammerman,
Board President

MEET OUR BIGS OF THE YEAR!

BIG SISTER - HANNAH WILGUS 

You may have met Hannah and MaKayla as our Match of the Month in October 2021. They have been matched for just over a year, but what an impact a year makes. From starting their relationship during the height of the pandemic to MaKayla working through some really tough challenges these two faced a lot of hurdles in their first year. Rather than pulling them apart, each fresh challenge made them stronger. Now, here they stand one year later, and in Hannah’s own words, “We’re a fantastic team and I wouldn’t change a thing.” This team definitely demonstrates what it means to be “Bigger Together,” and that’s why we are very pleased to announce that Hannah is one of our Bigs of the Year! 

When you start a relationship virtually it can be challenging to build a strong connection. Despite these challenges, Mom hoped the relationship would thrive and help boost MaKayla’s self-confidence. Hannah dove right in, and soon found MaKayla and her were similar in many ways. Mom credits the great success of this match to that similarity, and Hannah’s willingness to have some sensitive conversations with MaKayla.  Having someone in her corner that both understood her, and could be trusted to show up no matter what, has built MaKayla’s confidence. She knows now no matter how low she feels, Hannah will be there to lift her up, because she matters.  When a child learns to work through the hard times in a healthy and supported way, it prepares them to be strong and resilient adults. One thing is clear, Hannah and MaKayla have already learned lifelong lessons together, lessons that will have a lasting impact.

Any Big of the Year must advocate for our program as a whole as well as show dedication to their Little. Hannah has supported our program both by participating along with MaKayla in our 5k last fall, and in our, Give BIG fundraiser in November. In fact, Hannah raised more money than any other participating Big and beat her overall fundraising goal. Hannah is dedicated,  consistent, and reliable. She shows up for Makayla and for BBBS - every time - and that is what makes her one of our Bigs of the Year!  Congrats Hannah, we are so proud to have you as part of our village! 

BIG BROTHER - CHAO "SUNNY" SUN

Meet Sunny and Aidan, these two have been matched for nearly 5 years. Aidan’s mom said, Aidan has found a friend, resource, and someone he can share his life experiences with.  She said that Sunny has been such a great support, especially during Aidan’s teenage years even for her. Aidan’s father passed away in 2012 from leukemia which was very hard on the family so having a positive man in his life has been so beneficial.  His mom went on to say that he has been able to instill positivity in Aidan’s life and they are so blessed to have him in their lives. Sunny has been a reliable male role model, there to guide Aidan as he grew into a man. While Aidan will soon graduate from high school and age out of our program, the impact Sunny has had on him will certainly be lifelong. And that is what makes Sunny one of our Bigs of the Year! 

Aidan is in his senior year of high school, and as a team, this match has been really focused on what’s next for Aidan when it comes to higher education and his future.  Sunny has been very instrumental in helping Aidan decide what he is interested in career wise and even gave him his first job this past summer.  Aidan worked for Sunny’s business, ‘Back Office Studio’ (BOS)  located in Ypsilanti.  Aidan’s role was to help with community gatherings and local businesses that partnered with BOS.  Sunny and his partner have also had talks with Aidan about college readiness; college applications, deciding on schools, etc. We believe that all young people are full of limitless potential and with Sunny’s support and guidance, Aidan has built the confidence and the skill sets he needs to achieve that potential after he graduates. 

Beyond being a staunch advocate for Aidan, Sunny also makes time to advocate and support our program as a whole. He has opened up BOS for BBBS events, and shared information about our mission and need for Bigs with his staff and EMU community. He has also accepted a board position in the new year. Sunny’s dedication to both Aidan and our program as a whole makes him the ideal pick for Big of the Year. Congratulations Sunny, thank you for being a part of our village!

IGNITE POTENTIAL 

Our mission is to help youth achieve their fullest potential. That journey begins with a match. When a Big and Little begin their relationship, the Big, with the help of Match Support, guides the Little towards realizing the limitless nature of their own inherent potential.

YOUTH SERVED

Many times, household, neighborhood and other factors, can create challenges to having the time and resources to activate that inherent potential inside a youth. And we have the utmost respect for parents/guardians who trust us with helping to support the growth of their child by matching them with a Big that can give them some additional one-on-one time, opportunities and experiences that can help ignite that fire

OUR BIGS

We are so incredibly grateful for the time and talent of these individuals. We know that without them stepping up, stepping in and walking along side their Little, as they navigate this changing world together, that we would accomplish very little. They are the backbone of our organization and a million thank you's could not express the depth of our appreciation.
Michelle Abbey
Mo Al-Bodour
Javier Alberto-Sowers Bonamego
Erika Aldrich
Sarah Alsomairy
Haley Antoine
Jeff Arnold
Lauren Arquette
Jasimen Bailey
Amy Bank
Margaret Banker
Marissa Barman
Alesha Barnes
Kyle Barocko
Penelope Beamer
Tara Bell
Paul Bernard
Alexa Bernard
Zachary Berquist
Faaiza Bhatti
Hannah Eve Bihlmeyer
Isaiah Bingham
Jeffrey Bissonnette
Jessica Bouma
Thomas Bourque
Laura Bowler
Perry Boyd
Noah Brayton
Megan Brooks-Planck
Andrea Buckley
Ceren Budak
Julian Bueno
Melaina Bukowski
Steven Burkhalter
Charles Butz
Cassandra Campbell
Alex Carl
Madison Carlson
Lori Chapman
Simone Charles
Erik Charlson
Ashly Chimner
Will Chodos
Taylor Clayborne Gomez
Chelsea Cloyd
Nathanael Clyde
Amy Cole
Katelynn Conedera
Patricia Connors
Brian Cook
Carolyn Corbett
Carmen Coronado
Elyse Coughlin
Kelly Crenna
Nancy Culotta
Katie Cunningham
LaVerne Curley
Jordyn Czarny
Michael Daniel
Mohammad Dar
Lauren Day
Thomas Demmon
Brittany Dempsey
Laura Dorris
Owen Dorsey
Mary Duarte Thibault
Alyshia Dyer
Robin Edelstein
Robin Edelstein
Rachel Elias
Carl Engelke
Coreen Enright
Jill Esau
Deena Etter
​Veronica Ewing
SHannah Faccio
Emily Fischbach
Cara Foxley
Taylor Fracassa
Bryan Gaines
Hannah Garavaglia
Sherri Garrett
Stephanie Gatica
Leah Girard
Drew Gissendaner
Aaron Gladstein
John Goodell
Elyse Graessley
Corey Grassmyer
Joanna Gross
Nicole Hadler
Benjamin Hall
Matthew Hall
Shawn Hallett
Christopher Hamme
Keila Harris
Karin Haynes
Nicole Hill
Tyler Hill
Elizabeth Hilton
Jack Hoyle
Adam Hughes
Marsha-Kay Hutchinson
Tressia Hutchinson
Casey Jackson
Courtney Jacobsen
Phillip Jamison
Stephanie Jeffrey
Trevor Joachim
Raiven Johnson
Crystal Johnson
Jayson Johnson
Gloria Jones
Laura Kaufman
Cody Kelly
Brian Kempa
Erin Kessler
Daeho Kim
Michael Kinloch
Brendan Kirwin
Tabetha Kolodzaike
Greta Kruse
Abigail "Abby" Kumagai
Ryan Larson
Jeremiah LaRue
David Loki
Nick Ludka
Francy Luna Diaz
Anita Luong
Sarah Luttinen
Karen Mack
Lamont Manley
Thomas Maulbeck
Kristin Maurer
Emmanuelle Maurer
Betsy McCallister
Daniel "Parnell" McCarter
Lauren McGillicuddy
Daniel Minear
John Mirsky
Samuel Moijueh
Antoinette Moncrieff
Michelle Moore
Jacob Murphy
Michelle Murray
Usha Naidu
Carissa Najera
Brian Neher
​Danielle Nelson
Ian Nieh
Jessica Nino
Kartik Pallavajhala
Clayton Parsons
Sarah Patak
Timothy Peruski
Kurt Peterson
Eric Phelps
Madison Prinzing
Alisha Punjabi
Jessica Ramsay
Ryan Rebernick
Joanie Recker
Lindsay Richardson
Ramsay Ritchie
Amber Rose
Elizabeth Roy
Laney Rupp
Jacob Saldlinger
Kathryn Sanborn
LJ Sarten
William Sassack
Ellen Schlegelmilch
Karl Schlegelmilch
Lisa Schmidtke
Kristine Schroeder
Randy Schwemmin
Amy Seidl
Rajiv Shahani
Khurum Sheikh
Jenna Silverman
Scott Sinclair
Joshua Slaviero
Ren Snyder
Terrance Solan
Andaiye Spencer
Darlyn Stafford
Tymi Staub
Susi Stiles
Chao "Sunny" Sun
Dustin Swarthout
Deborah Swartz
Delawrence Sykes
Megan Taylor
Peter Thomas
Kyra Thomas
Marie Toft
Heather Toma
Samantha Trout
James "Jim" Valloric
Lotte van den Goor
Carali Van Otteren
Vanessa Vitso
Gianni Walker
Jerry Wang
Zakiya Wells
Nicole Welsh
Ole Wendroth
Mackenzie Wigginton
Hannah Wilgus
Samantha Williams
Shaleann Williams
Michael Withers
Laurin Wolf
Debbie Wollard
Scott Wood
Micah Woodruff
Jeff Wyatt
Evalyn Yanna
Sydney Young
Daniel Zahn
Stephani Zakutansky
Chelsea Zantop
John Zientko
Chiara Zuccarino-Crowe

EMPOWER POTENTIAL 

As matches grow through time spent together, discovering shared interests and experiencing new things, they begin to build trust and respect. A caring reliable Big helps a Little build confidence. They begin to believe in themselves, and truly own their potential.

MENTORING IMPACT
At the 2021 National Conference, we were proud to be recognized with a Quality Award for exceeding the national average for 12 month match retention by over 5%.  In addition to the award criteria, our staff accomplished increases in several other key metrics.
  • Increased match length from 20 to 26 months; and
  • Increased match support completed from 82% to 87%.
As difficult of a year as 2021 was, most especially not being able to make as many new matches as we usually do, we are so proud of these improvements,  as research consistently shows that longer, stronger matches create greater impact on young people.

PROGRAM SUPPORTS 

OUR EVENTS 

As part of Big Brothers Big Sisters Big 30 Celebration, BBBS brought back a beloved event from years gone by - Golf Fore Kids’ Sake! On May 24th, sponsors, friends, colleagues, Board members and staff gathered at the exclusive Barton Hills Golf Course to celebrate and support BBBS while golfing 18 holes on one of Michigan’s premier courses.  Under sunny skies and in the safety of the outdoors, Golf Fore Kids’ Sake was the first event BBBS was able to hold in-person since the outbreak of Covid-19. It was wonderful to be together with old friends and welcome new friends to the BBBS family.

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS

Magic Makers
Comerica
​PSMI


​Dream Maker 
Judy and Steve Dobson
Chelsea Rhone
Mullick Foundation
Wish Maker
Friends of BBBS from White Lake and         Northville Hills Golf Clubs
Mortgage One

Match Maker
Dominos
Lori and Keith Hayward
Hylant
Old National Bank
Buddy Maker
Kohls
The John E. Green Company
The Print Giants
UMCU
On September 12th, BBBS was thrilled to once again host A Fall Evening with Big Brothers Big Sisters. Presented by The Jones Family Foundation and kindly hosted by Wayne and Shelly Jones at the Boathouse at Lakefields, this was a special night to celebrate mentorship and appreciate each other’s company. An exquisite location, combined with amazing food, an exciting live auction, bourbon bar, live music, and moving words from former Big-Robyn, and Little-Matt, whose lives were forever changed by BBBS, left guests feeling inspired.

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS

Presenting Sponsor 
The Jones Family Foundation

Magic Maker 
HealthCap Helping Hands

​Dream Makers
AvFuel
Jake Haas
​The Janeth Fund
​The Mullick Foundation
Ron Weiser
Wish Makers
Stephanie and Bruce Benz
The Bob and Jan Lyons Foundation
Richard Kennell
The Martin Family Foundation
Norma and Dick Sarns
The VonVoigtlander Family Foundation

Match Makers
Bank of Ann Arbor
​Level One Bank
Merrill and John Dudley
The Promanus Group
Rebecca and Randy Tisch
Jackie and Steve Tracy
Julia and Adam Williams
Buddy Makers
Chris and Herb Black
Judy and Steve Dobson
Hylant Insurance
​Nancie and Don Loppnow
Sally and Tim Petersen
Eileen Weiser

DEFEND POTENTIAL

When a match builds on a strong foundation of trust and respect they form a deep bond. That bond reinforces a Little's confidence and sense of self. Littles who enjoy a long, successful match make better choices and become the Defenders of their own potential.

2021 GRANTS

Our thanks to all the funders who invested in the limitless potential of youth. 
Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation - Youth Council

Big Brothers Big Sisters of America - Juvenile Justice Initiative

DTE Foundation

​Harry A. and Margaret D. Towsley Foundation
J. Ferrantino Foundation

J.F. Ervin Foundation

James & Faith Knight Foundation

​Kiwanis Club of Ann Arbor Foundation
Mentor Michigan

PNC Foundation

Speckhard-Knight Charitable Foundation
​
United Way of Washtenaw County

2021 INVESTING IN CHILDRENS' CIRCLE MEMBERS

Investing in Children Circle members have committed to giving $1,000+ annually for five years. This commitment allows BBBS to better plan for the future of serving young people in our community.
Lizann and Gerry Anderson**
Kiana and David Barfield
Traci and Chris Coffman
Anne Cooper
Judy and Steve Dobson
Jake Haas
​Jeff Hauptman
​Melanie and Curtis Hoff 
Kristine and Shawn Kerns
Mary and Bill Kinley
Cindy and Mike Masini**
Debby and Tom McMullen​
Leslie and Terry Murphy 
Lisa and Mike O'Connell
Sheena Plocharczyk
​​Joe Ruicci**
Susan and Ren Snyder**
** Indicates a completed 5 year commitment.  We are forever grateful for our ICC members.

BOARD MEMBERS 

Our thanks to these community leaders who volunteer their time and expertise to support our mission.

Board of Directors

Jack Carver
Kendall Cislo 
Gregg Hammerman
Terry Murphy
​Megan Rodgers
Derek Shinska*
Chao Sun*
Levi Taylor
Maurice Washington
LaTonya Woods​

Honorary Board 

Chris Conlin*
Anne Cooper
Steve Dobson
Jake Haas
Mark Ouimet
Laurita Thomas
* Current or Former Big

STAFF MEMBERS 

We are so grateful for this hard working team of defenders!

Executive Director

Jennifer Spitler, LMSW

Events Manager

Anne Marie Veneroni

Marketing & Engagement Manager 

Danni Murphy

Mentoring Manager

Amanda Bitsoli

YCS Site Coordinator 

Rachel Sulkowski

Administrative Assistant

Danielle Christian

Enrollment Coordinators 

Jasmine Edwards
​Linda Goble

Mentoring Coordinators

Sam Francey
Crystal Johnson
​Sam Tully

WE ARE SO GREATFUL 

To our volunteers, who show up and and share small moments with a young person,  we could not do what we do without you. Thank you for your time, your patience,  for the lessons you teach and the lessons you learn. We are grateful for you each and every day. 

And to our donors, who give financial support to ensure that we can continue to advance our mission, you are piece of every match we make. Thank you all for standing with us today to defend the potential of tomorrow.