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YPSILANTI, MI – August 1, 2023 – Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) of Metro Detroit and Washtenaw County have officially merged today, creating Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southeast Michigan. This merger allows the two organizations to triple the number of mentoring matches between adult volunteers (Bigs) and children (Littles) between the ages of 8 – 18, leverage and grow partnerships in a four county region (Washtenaw, Oakland, Macomb and Wayne), and provide additional programming and services to families and the community!
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Our VISION to help all youth achieve their full potential and our MISSION to create and support one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth remain the same.
Jennifer Spitler, LMSW, now serves as the president and chief executive officer for the merged organization. Spitler has headed BBBS of Washtenaw County for twenty years and has a deep understanding of the needs of young people in Southeast Michigan.
“This merger is a historic moment for our two organizations,” said Spitler. “By coming together, we can better serve the thousands of young people in our region who are waiting for a mentor. We are excited to build on the success of both organizations and create an even stronger mentoring program for the future.”
The merger will result in additional opportunities and experiences for youth, improved offerings through implementation of best practices from both organizations, and an efficiency in operations. This means that BBBS of Southeast Michigan will be able to expand its reach into communities with new programming, and ultimately make an even greater impact on the lives of young people in the region. Through our combined efforts, we will empower more young people on their path to graduate high school with a plan for their future and a mentor whose impact will last a lifetime. In a world of causes, we make a difference by creating professionally supported, one-to-one matches for kids who want to realize their full potential!
"We are grateful for the support of our donors, volunteers, and community partners,” said Spitler. “With their help, we can make this merger a success and continue to change the lives of young people in Southeast Michigan.” BBBS of Southeast Michigan is also very thankful for the support and expertise from Dawda Mann and members of the team (Ed Dawda, Marc Salach and Elle Madsen) for their help with the merger.
Through matching young people with volunteers that can help them explore their interests with the benefit of BBBS staff support we can start to break down barriers associated with poverty, racism and trauma. Our work was urgent 100 years ago and is even more urgent today! BBBS of Southeast Michigan is looking forward to taking our work to the next level in our communities, neighborhoods and region!
Jennifer Spitler, LMSW, now serves as the president and chief executive officer for the merged organization. Spitler has headed BBBS of Washtenaw County for twenty years and has a deep understanding of the needs of young people in Southeast Michigan.
“This merger is a historic moment for our two organizations,” said Spitler. “By coming together, we can better serve the thousands of young people in our region who are waiting for a mentor. We are excited to build on the success of both organizations and create an even stronger mentoring program for the future.”
The merger will result in additional opportunities and experiences for youth, improved offerings through implementation of best practices from both organizations, and an efficiency in operations. This means that BBBS of Southeast Michigan will be able to expand its reach into communities with new programming, and ultimately make an even greater impact on the lives of young people in the region. Through our combined efforts, we will empower more young people on their path to graduate high school with a plan for their future and a mentor whose impact will last a lifetime. In a world of causes, we make a difference by creating professionally supported, one-to-one matches for kids who want to realize their full potential!
"We are grateful for the support of our donors, volunteers, and community partners,” said Spitler. “With their help, we can make this merger a success and continue to change the lives of young people in Southeast Michigan.” BBBS of Southeast Michigan is also very thankful for the support and expertise from Dawda Mann and members of the team (Ed Dawda, Marc Salach and Elle Madsen) for their help with the merger.
Through matching young people with volunteers that can help them explore their interests with the benefit of BBBS staff support we can start to break down barriers associated with poverty, racism and trauma. Our work was urgent 100 years ago and is even more urgent today! BBBS of Southeast Michigan is looking forward to taking our work to the next level in our communities, neighborhoods and region!
About Big Brothers Big Sisters of America
For more than a century, Big Brothers Big Sisters has been helping change kids’ perspectives and giving them the opportunity to reach their potential. And we have more than a century of volunteers, donors, and advocates just like you to thank.
It all started in 1904, when a young New York City court clerk named Ernest Coulter was seeing more and more boys come through his courtroom. He recognized that caring adults could help many of these kids stay out of trouble, and he set out to find volunteers. That marked the beginning of the Big Brothers movement.
At around the same time, the members of a group called Ladies of Charity were befriending girls who had come through the New York Children’s Court. That group would later become Catholic Big Sisters.
Both groups continued to work independently until 1977, when Big Brothers Association and Big Sisters International joined forces and became Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.
More than 100 years later, Big Brothers Big Sisters remains true to our founders’ vision of bringing caring role models into the lives of children. And, today, Big Brothers Big Sisters currently operates in all 50 states.
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Locations:
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Contact UsPHONEDetroit - 313-309-0500
Ypsilanti - 734-975-0933 |
