Big Brothers Big Sisters of Colchester has been creating friendships since 1978.
We started out matching Big Brothers and Big Sisters with Little Brothers and Little Sisters and have grown to include a variety of different programs that serve both boys and girls. We are proud of our achievements and continue to strive to be on the leading edge of the Big Brothers Big Sisters movement in Canada.
Following is a chronological history of the local agency:
In 1977, a group of concerned citizens of Truro and the surrounding area were becoming increasingly aware that more and more children, primarily from one-parent homes, were in need of positive adult guidance and role modeling.
A number of these men and women felt a survey should be conducted and statistics gathered. To this end, the Truro Boys and Girls Club agreed to sponsor a research project to allow whis group to obtain a small provincial grant. The results from that survey established that there were in excess of 500 children in the County who were eligible for the service a Big Brothers Big Sisters agency could provide. In late 1977, it was decided to form a Steering Committee.
A number of the men serving on the Committee were Kiwanians. Realizing there would be a need for financial support, they asked their Club for assistance. The members of the Kiwanis Club of Truro agreed to help and a number of fund raising projects were organized.
With the assistance and guidance of Big Brothers of Canada and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Dartmouth/Halifax, the Steering Committee evolved into a Board of Directors with Ed Newell, R. S. W., becoming the Board’s first President. In April, 1978, affiliation with Big Brothers of Canada and incorporation under the Nova Scotia Societies Act were applied for and granted.
An Executive Director was hired in June of 1979 and the agency became well established under the leadership and guidance of both staff and Board.
In May of 1982, the agency's name was changed to include “Colchester” to better reflect the service area.
In October of 1984, the agency purchased the Lakeside Club and began a successful Bingo operation three nights a week.
In January of 1996, representatives from the Colchester agency met with the Board of Directors of the Hants County agency to discuss a possible merger which would serve both East Hants and Colchester Counties under one Board.
Under the administration of the Colchester Board of Directors, the doors to the Satellite office in Elmsdale were officially opened on June 1st, 1996. (Note: In 2003, the decision was made to serve both areas from one central office in Truro.)
In 1997, Big Brothers – Big Sisters of Colchester conducted an In-School Mentoring pilot project at Alice St. School, matching its first 6 In-School Mentors. With the success and increasing popularity of In-School mentoring, a part time Coordinator was hired in September of 1998.
In 2000 a bursary program for Littles going on to post-secondary education was started. As of 2009, 12 former Littles have received over $24,000 in bursary funding to support their educational goals.
Life Choices and Right for Me programs were started in 2003.
In 2003, the agency received funding from Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada to launch a “Digital Heroes” program (e-mail buddies).
There are currently four staff members employed by Big Brothers –Big Sisters Association of Colchester.
Executive Director – Michelle Misener
Office Administrator – Michele Pace
Caseworker – Sallie Murphy
In-School Mentor Coordinator – Mary Samson
History of the Organization
Where did it all begin?
U.S.A.
The Big Brothers movement was begun on July 4, 1903 by a young Cincinnati businessman named Irving F. Westheimer who, spotting a young boy and his dog rooting through a garbage can for food, became concerned as to why such a situation was occurring on this of all days. Befriending the child, Mr. Westheimer discovered that he lived in a home where the father was absent through death. Mr. Westheimer took the boy under his guidance, seeing him regularly and helping him as "big brother". Further, Mr. Westheimer asked a number of his friends to act in a similar capacity on a one-to-one basis to other boys and young men from father-absent home; hence the "Big Brothers".
Amazingly, in the very next year, 1904 in New York, Col. Ernest Coulter, Chief Clerk of the New York Children's Court, noting that a large number of the children appearing in court came from homes where the father was absent, approached the Men's Club of the Central Presbyterian Church to become "big brothers" to boys and young men who were known to the courts. Thus, Big Brothers has the unique distinction of having been conceived as a program independently, and by two individuals who were concerned about the welfare of children. In 1908, Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt, learning of the work of Big Brothers in New York City, organized the first Big Sisters program there, to provide similar service to girls and young women. Therefore, the basis for both services to children indicates a deep and direct concern early in the century.
The first agency formally incorporated to undertake Big Brothers work was Big Brothers of New York in 1909, followed closely in 1910 by the Cincinnati agency. The Big Sisters agency in New York was incorporated in 1911. The idea of an assignment of an adult volunteer spread to other cities, including Philadelphia, Boston and Denver, Columbus, and others during the period of 1910 to 1920. This period also saw the introduction of professionally trained social workers to interview the children, parents and potential Big Brothers/Big Sisters, to match the most appropriate adult to an individual child and to provide the necessary support and supervision to the Big Brother-Little Brother or Big Sister-Little Sister relationship and to the parent when indicated.
In 1946, representatives of thirteen Big Brother agencies, under the leadership of Charles Berwind of Philadelphia, met and decided to form Big Brothers of America (BBA) to act as the federated, central representative of the Big Brothers program in the U.S. and Canada (Canadian agencies amicably withdrew from BBA in 1964-1968 to form Big Brothers of Canada).
CANADA
In 1913, the Toronto delinquency rate was growing rapidly and some businessmen, interested in doing something to combat the problem, sent a representative to New York to investigate an organization founded nine years earlier, known as the Big Brother Movement. Impressed with what he saw, the representative convinced his fellow businessmen that they should do something similar in Toronto. Thus, "The Big Brother Movement of Toronto" was born, known today as "Big Brothers of Metropolitan Toronto".
Initially, the Toronto volunteers worked with both boys and girls who came to their attention through the courts. Encouraged by the growth of the movement, a Board of Directors was formed and professional people engaged as permanent staff. The first Association in Canada using the Big Brother concept was in the city of Toronto in 1913. The original Big Brother group was composed of a number of church men's federations including the following: Baptist Men's Federation, Methodist Men, Lutheran Men, Anglican Men and, a short time later, representatives of the Knights of Columbus and the B'nai B'rith Lodge. A similar organization was formed in Hamilton in 1921, and eventually in several other cities in the period from 1940 - 1960.
The program was primarily intended to help young offenders, especially from father-absent homes. In the late 1950's and early 1960's, Big Brother groups re-organized their services to meet the challenge of reaching out to help individual boys between 6 and 16 years of age who lived in father-absent homes.
By 1964, ten Big Brother Associations including Toronto, Hamilton, Vancouver, St. Catharines, Peterborough, Owen Sound, Niagara Falls, Kitchener-Waterloo, Welland and Oakville, were providing service to a total of 300 matched boys. These agencies were affiliated with Big Brothers of America, headquartered in Philadelphia. During 1964, efforts were made to begin a Canadian organization with a view of promoting the Big Brother concept throughout Canada.Big Brothers of Canada was federally chartered on December 15, 1964.
By 1972, 60 Canadian agencies were providing service to 3,000 boys, a ten-fold increase in eight years. In that year Big Brothers of Canada signed a separation agreement with Big Brothers of America, to become a completely autonomous body. Growth was rapid in the ensuing years. By 1975 there were almost one hundred agencies and 5,200 matches, and by 1980, 150 agencies were in existence, serving 7,200 children. In the mid-70's, requests were received from several communities to establish joint Big Brother/Big Sister agencies in Canada. The first joint Big Brother/Big Sister agency in Canada was formed in Halifax, followed by Victoria B.C. As new agencies were organized, the majority offered services to both boys and girls.
Today, of 173 member agencies, 81 provide joint service. Over 9,000 boys and girls are matched in our member agencies. In addition, separate Big Sister agencies exist throughout Ontario and Western Canada, serving a large number of girls.The Big Brother program was is limited to Canada and the U.S.A., Big Brother organizations exist in many countries, including Japan, Korea, England, Germany, Australia, Africa, Jamaica and Israel.
IN OUR COMMUNITY
Locally, the Truro agency, now serving Colchester and East Hants, was incorporated in 1978 and has, over the years, provided adult guidance and role modeling to hundreds of children/youth; primarily from single homes. We have seen extremely positive results for the children we have matched with a volunteer.