Big Brothers Big Sisters of Berks County

Looking for a timely stocking stuffer? We still have BBBS Masks available. Featuring a BBBS logo, the masks are washable and protective, and come with one (1) removable filter. Masks come in S/M and L/SL sizes with adjustable elastic bands around your ears and a nose bridge for a proper fit. Masks are $20 each; $5 of which is donated to BBBS of Berks, so you can Mask Up while helping Big Brothers Big Sisters of Berks County, PA!... For more information or to order, email Jim Smith at [email protected]

He wants to be a scientist or astronaut when he grows up. Meet Little Brother Brandon, our Little of the Month for December 2020. Brandon is a 9-year-old from Sinking Spring, PA who enjoys riding his bike and playing video games. He has been with the agency since May and is still awaiting a One-To-One Match. Are you who he has been waiting for? LB Brandon would benefit greatly from having a positive, out-going role model in his life. He is looking for someone that he can... trust and talk to; someone to spend one-on-one time with him; someone to take him out of the home and encourage his interests. TOGETHER, WE ARE DEFENDERS OF POTENTIAL Are you willing to stand with us and DEFEND POTENTIAL in LB Brandon or any of our waiting Little Brothers and Little Sisters? We do not create potential, because every child has it. Our staff and volunteers are there to ignite their potential and empower our Littles to reach that potential. For as little as 12 hours per year (as a COUL Big) up to an average of 8-10 hours per month (as a One-To-One Big), YOU can make a difference in a child’s life. For more information on YOU can become a Big Brother or Big Sister, call us at (610) 373-5544. Our offices are open Tuesday through Thursday from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. You can also visit our Become a Big page at https://bigsinberks.org/become-a-big/

The Rutter’s Companies are our newest contributors through the Pennsylvania Education Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program! Rutter’s VP of Marketing Robert Perkins (left) presented Executive Director Jim Smith (right) a check in the amount of $10,000 this morning. Pennsylvania’s EITC program allows approved companies to donate a portion of their state taxes to EITC-eligible agencies. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Berks County has been an EITC-eligible agency since 2006. EITC... donations help BBBS of Berks fund our school-based SMART (Students & Mentors Achieving Results Together) programs at Conrad Weiser School District, Hamburg Area School District, and Oley Valley School District. Although COVID-19 has presented some unique challenges this year, the BBBS staff continues to serve Littles and Bigs at those schools through enhanced case supervision, virtual meetings, and more until such time that we can resume our normal programming at those schools and our other SMART schools. We thank all of our friends at Rutter’s Companies for including Big Brothers Big Sisters of Berks County in their financial planning. We also express our appreciation to those companies who have also contributed EITC funds in 2020, including: East Penn Manufacturing/Deka $7,000 Orrstown Bank $5,000 Mitsubishi Advanced Chemical Materials $5,000 BB&T $2,500

You can make an impact while you shop for Cyber Monday deals. Simply shop at smile.amazon.com/ch/23-6463243 and AmazonSmile will donate to Big Brothers-Big Sisters of Berks County, at no cost to you.

He wants to be a professional basketball player when he grows up. Meet Little Brother Jason, our Little of the Month for November 2020. Jason is a 15-year-old from Reading who enjoys playing basketball, bowling, and video games. He has been with the agency since 2013 and is still awaiting a One-To-One Match. Are you who he has been waiting for? LB Jason would benefit greatly from having a positive, out-going role model in his life. He is looking for someone that he can trus...t and talk to; someone to spend one-on-one time with him; someone to take him out of the home and encourage his interests. Remember, it’s not about making time to be a Big but rather about including a Little in your everyday activities! TOGETHER, WE ARE DEFENDERS OF POTENTIAL Are you willing to stand with us and DEFEND POTENTIAL in LB Jason or any of our waiting Little Brothers and Little Sisters? For more than 50 years, Big Brothers Big Sisters has provided quality-driven mentoring programs to Berks County youth facing adversity. We do not create potential, because every child has it. Our staff and volunteers are there to ignite their potential and empower our Littles to reach that potential. If you have any questions about being a volunteer in any one of our many programs, contact Big Brothers Big Sisters of Berks County at (610) 373-5544. During his COVID-19 time, our office is open Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. More information on our Become a Big page at https://bigsinberks.org/become-a-big/

Congratulations, Little Brother Darryn and Big Brother Kevin! This match began their mentoring relationship as a virtual match, due to COVID-19 challenges, but met face-to-face for the first time on Friday.