Big Brothers Big Sisters of Oxford County receive BIG support through OTF Grant
Woodstock, ON – Last Fall, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Oxford County (BBBSOC) received $80,200 in funding from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, Resilient Communities Fund to support their efforts in developing a new Strategic Plan, recover lost revenue and resources through the COVID-19 Pandemic, and address the increasing need for volunteer recruitment and engagement.
“Volunteers are valuable resources for many organizations, including Big Brothers Big Sisters,” said Ernie Hardeman, MPP for Oxford. “The dollars granted to the agency by the Ontario Trillium Foundation’s Resilient Communities Fund help make it possible to focus on recruiting volunteers and building a strong strategic direction”.
The OTF Grant allowed BBBSOC to grow in September 2022 with the addition of a new Volunteer Recruitment and Engagement Coordinator who specifically focuses on volunteer engagement and retention strategies. The agency has already seen an increase over 60% in volunteer inquiries in this time, proving the necessity for this dedicated role in our agency and answering the growing needs in our community.
“The Resilient Communities Fund grant has provided Big Brothers Big Sisters of Oxford County with the resources to not only work to provide mentoring programs to the increased number of young people and families seeking our services, it has also allowed us to move out of the day to day mind set, and look to our future to build strategy and operational plan,” said Kristen Ralph, Executive Director. “We want to continue to be there for Oxford County children and youth, and this funding is allowing us to build that path forward.”
The grant will also allow BBBSOC to reinstate our plans to build a new agency Strategic Plan, which we postponed in 2020 when our focus moved to supporting our youth in real time as all of our programs shifted to virtual platforms. As we continue to recover and build resiliency from the impacts of COVID 19, BBBSOC will be developing and implementing medium to long-term plans to address new organizational needs and ensure a strong future, building solid funding, strategic and operational plans.
BBBSOC serve young people in Oxford County facing adversity, coming from diverse socio-economic and cultural backgrounds and experiences. Through our programs, these young people gain positive experiences in recreation, skill development, teamwork, communication, sense of belonging and confidence.
The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF), an agency of the Government of Ontario, and one of Canada’s leading granting foundations celebrates 40 years of grant-making in Ontario and making a lasting impact in communities. Last year, OTF invested over $110M into 1,022 community projects and partnerships. Visit otf.ca to learn more.
