Big Brothers Big Sisters - Heart of Illinois

Welcome new match, Tina and Dez'Mariya! 💚

Tina is one of our Match Support Specialists and she does a terrific job making every match feel understood and valued! We cannot wait to see her make the same impact on her Little, Dez'Mariya.

Are you interested in becoming a Big? Contact us today to get started!

https://www.hoibbbs.org/be-a-big/steps-to-becoming-a-big/

Last night at our Group Mentoring Program we helped the boys create Mother's Day presents! 💐

They did an awesome job painting their very own pot and planting seeds with different flowers. It was so sweet to witness their enthusiasm about creating these pots for their moms!

Each of these boys are still waiting for a Big Brother in the program! Reach out if you think you could be a good match.

Did you know that mentorship can play a BIG role in promoting mental health and wellness?

When young people have a trusted adult to turn to for support and guidance, they are more likely to feel confident, capable, and resilient. This Month, consider becoming a Big.

Together, we can create a culture of compassion, empathy, and open dialogue: hoibbbs.org/be-a-big/steps-to-becoming-a-big/

Happy ! ✨

This week's featured match is Anthony and Stephanie! They have been matched for 8 months and have loved playing and getting to know each other.

They recently won a gift card at a Big Brothers Big Sisters event and had so much fun going to the store and selecting a prize. Anthony chose a lightsaber and was so excited because he had only ever seen them in movies!

We are so excited to see your relationship grow, Anthony and Stephanie. Thanks for being an awesome match!

Today's featured volunteer is Jon! ✨

Jon is an absolute rockstar of a volunteer for our agency. He is a board member, member of the leadership council, and the Big Brother to Tae'Shawn. He has a true passion for our mission, and we are so grateful for all his support!

He has been matched with Tae'Shawn for almost 5 years. He is dedicated to building Tae'Shawn's confidence and problem-solving skills. He has worked with Tae'Shawn on everything from learning to drive to learning how to set up a savings account.

Jon whole-heartedly helps in every way he can! Thank you, Jon, for your support and your persistent positive attitude!

Volunteer Appreciation Week 💚

Jenna has been a volunteer with Heart of Illinois Big Brothers Big Sisters for over three years. She has mentored multiple Littles and is always eager to attend our events!

Currently, she is mentoring Mariona and they have been matched in Community Based Program since July 2023. Jenna and Mariona previously knew each other before being matched, as Jenna is a teacher at Mariona’s high school. Jenna makes it a point to help Mariona with her schoolwork weekly and to help Mariona explore her artistic talents through crafting together.

Jenna has been involved with BBBS for years and is an avid volunteer within the community. We appreciate Jenna for her dedication, attentiveness, and her drive to help youth in her community!

Happy Volunteer Appreciation Week, Charlie!

Charlie is Cory's Big Brother. They have been matched in the Lunch Buddies program for four and a half years. Their match is filled with natural conversations and an Uno rivalry that has been going on since the very beginning of their match.

Charlie has also always been a great supporter of our agency by showing up for our events and being such a great role model for Cory.

Thanks for all you do, Charlie!

Thank you, Leadership Council! 👏

Our Leadership Council is a wonderful group of people who have a passion for our mission. Each member of the Leadership Council dedicates their time to help us plan events, such as the Big Luau, and encourages us to reach our goals.

We are able to make a BIG impact on youth in our community because of the support from our Leadership Council.

Thank you for all you do!

Happy Work Anniversary, Jordan and Aaleah! 💚

Last year, our team became stronger when these two fantastic women joined our team! We have been able to reach more children and volunteers through the hard work and dedication of both Jordan and Aaleah.

Jordan is our Volunteer Enrollment Specialist. She has an incredible way of being able to relate to so many different people. She is so well-suited for getting to know each and every unique volunteer and helping them get matched with a Little.

Aaleah is one of our Match Support Specialists. She has an infectious smile and passion for serving our community. She works hard to ensure each and every one of her matches feels known and secure.

Thank you, Jordan and Aaleah, for all you do for the Heart of Illinois Big Brothers Big Sisters! We are so grateful for both of you. ✨

Today we want to put our volunteer spotlight on Erin! ✨

Erin is a Big in our program and has been matched with her Little, Lillie, for almost a year. Erin decided to be a Big because she wanted to help a child in her community. She loves working with kids and saw this as a perfect opportunity!

Erin and Lillie have enjoyed going to Skateland, attending Riverman and Chief's games, baking, doing crafts, seeing movies, and so much more!

Erin, thank you for your passion for our program and all the support you give Lillie!

Bowl for Kids' Sake 2024 🎳

Thanks to everyone who made Bowl for Kids' Sake 2024 so special! It is a joy to defend the potential of children in our community with all of you!

We want to extend a BIG "thank you" to our board members!

We are so lucky to have a team of board members who are committed to our mission of defending the potential of youth in our community.

They are passionate, dedicated, and thorough! Thank you, board members, for your countless hours spent growing our agency and encouraging us to be the best we can be!

Today's featured volunteer is Scott! Scott has been the Big Brother to James for over 4 years. He makes a BIG impact by taking James out to eat and supporting all of his basketball games.

Being a great mentor begins with showing up and letting the child know you care. In showing up for James at dinner and basketball, Scott encourages James to be the best version of himself!

Keep up the great work, Scott!

Are you interested in impacting the life of a child just like Scott? Contact us today about becoming a Big!

Happy Volunteer Appreciation Week! 💚

We hope that each and every volunteer knows how much we appreciate them! Whether you are a Big in the program, have helped us host an event, or serve on our board and leadership council, we are incredibly grateful for all you do!

This week, we are going to take time to highlight a few of our volunteers! We may not be able to showcase every volunteer, but we want everyone to know we are immensely grateful we are for all you do!

Are you inspired to become a volunteer? Reach out today to get involved!

https://www.hoibbbs.org/be-a-big/steps-to-becoming-a-big/

Thank you, Royal Publishing, for your generous donation!

Royal Publishing offers a wonderful program where their employees donate a dollar for every day they choose to dress casual. They voted for the donations to be given to support our mission to defend the potential of youth in our community.

They mentioned wanting to support a cause that is making a direct impact on our community, and we are so grateful they chose us!

We look forward to working more with the passionate team at Royal Publishing. Thank you for your support!

Group Mentoring Bowling Night! 🎳

Last night, we took the boys from our Group Mentoring Program to Landmark Lanes for a fun bowling night, just like many of our matches and supporters did this past weekend at Bowl for Kids' Sake!

We love spending time with each of these boys on Wednesday nights, but we are still hoping to find them a one-on-one mentor! They are all on the waitlist to be matched with a Big Brother who can spend time with them and encourage them to be the best versions of themselves.

Do you think you could be a good match for one of these boys? Contact us today!

https://www.hoibbbs.org/be-a-big/steps-to-becoming-a-big/

Welcome new matches! ✨

Meet the newest members of the Big Brothers Big Sisters community! We are so excited to see these matches get to know one another and grow their relationships.

Angelina & Amy
Asher & Sergio
Euneice & KT
April & Bakul
Demi & America

We want to shout out an event coming up for our partner, the Junior League of Peoria!

On April 20th they are hosting a Sip & Stroll in Peoria Heights. Join them for a fun day at all your favorite restaurants in Peoria Heights! Pour Bros, Clink Bar, Sullivan’s, 12 Bar, and more will be participating by providing fun activities and signature drinks.

Tickets are $50 and the proceeds will support summer safety kits for kids in our program and other kids in the community! These kits will include information on local resources, activities and events starting Summer 2024, safety tips, educational materials, as well as physical items related to the listed topics.

If you cannot make the event, you can sponsor a kit for $30! Click the link below to learn more.

We hope to see you there!

https://junior-league-of-peoria.square.site/spring-fling-sip-and-stroll

This week we want to shine a spotlight on Big Brother Teague and Little Brother Jaydin💚

They have been matched for about 6 months! They love to do anything outside together, such as fishing and sports. In this time, Jaydin's family has noticed that he has had an increased interest in his schoolwork.

Big Brother Teague noted recently that Jaydin had a blast coming over for dinner and driving go karts.

We are so glad to see how happy Teague and Jaydin are together! Keep on making a BIG impact, guys.

Thanks to all who made Bowl for Kids' Sake this weekend a success!

We were so excited by the positive energy and enthusiasm brought by everyone attending. We are grateful for everyone's generosity, and we look forward to witnessing the impact it makes on the kids in our community.💚

Are you still interested in attending another day of Bowl for Kids' Sake? Join us next weekend at Landmark Lanes!

We are hosting another session on April 20th from 2pm-4pm. Click the link below to sign up!

https://hoibbbs.bbbsfundraise.org/bfks2024/

Our April 6th session of Bowl for Kids' Sake at Landmark Lanes has been rescheduled! Join us April 20th from 2pm to 4pm. 🎳

All are welcome to sign up and fundraise for a day of bowling, pizza, prizes, and more! Click the link below to learn more and register for Bowl for Kids' Sake!

https://hoibbbs.bbbsfundraise.org/bfks2024/

Visit Peoria Nutrition Spot this Saturday in support of Heart of Illinois Big Brothers Big Sisters! They have generously donated 15% of purchases to our mission. 💚

Come try the Big Brothers Big Sisters custom drinks: the Potential Power and the Role Model Refresher!

Empowering the next generation is a continuous commitment. As we celebrate , let's continue to foster positive change in our communities through mentorship.

Join the Heart of Illinois Big Brothers Big Sisters in working towards a brighter future! Click the link below to learn more about becoming a Big.

https://www.hoibbbs.org/be-a-big/steps-to-becoming-a-big/

Meet this week's featured match, Jessica and Marin! 👋

Jessica and Marin have been matched in the Community Based program for over 9 years. In that time, they have done so many fun activities together, but in recent years their favorite thing to do is get together at a restaurant to chat over food.

Jessica is really supportive of all of Marin's activities and is sure to be there to cheer her on at all of her events!

Over the years that Marin has been matched with Jessica, Marin has learned to open up more and has continued to make good choices. Jessica has undoubtedly been a positive role model in Marin's life. While Marin will be graduating next month and heading off to college in the fall, this match thinks of each other as family.

This is a friendship that will last a lifetime. It has been a joy for the Big Brothers Big Sisters team to witness the impact of this match!

Fulton County Bowl for Kid's Sake was a blast! Thanks to everyone that came out and made it so special. 💚

We look forward to recreating the fun at Landmark bowling this Sunday at 12pm! Join us for another day of bowling. Anyone signed up for our sessions planned for Landmark Bowling on April 6th, we look forward to updating you with a rescheduled date soon!

Unfortunately, due to some unexpected issues at Landmark Lanes, we need to postpone Peoria Bowl for Kids' Sake today.

We are so excited to host the event in the near future, and we will keep everyone updated on the new date and time. Bowl for Kids' Sake in Canton at Linn Lanes is still on for today at its scheduled time!

Feel free to contact us with any questions! We apologize for the inconvenience.

Group Mentorship last night was a blast!

We started by playing a game involving a big beach ball and questions to better get to know one another. Then, we learned more about the Assistant Athletic Director of District 150, Blake Johnson. He talked to the boys about setting goals and chasing their dreams.

Our Group Mentorship Program is offered to boys on our waitlist. We have over 100 kids waiting to be matched with a mentor, the majority being boys. Group mentorship allows us to keep the kids engaged before they get matched.

Interested in getting involved? Contact us today!

Join us at Bowl for Kids' Sake!

Bowl for Kids' Sake begins this Saturday! Don't miss this opportunity to make a BIG impact on our community by encouraging your friends and family to support your team's bowling page.

The Heart of Illinois Big Brothers Big Sisters is hosting two sessions beginning at 2pm and 4:30pm at Landmark Lanes, and Fulton County has two sessions beginning at 4pm and 6:30pm at Linn Lanes. 🎳

Click the link below to sign up!

https://hoibbbs.bbbsfundraise.org/bfks2024

Big Brothers Big Sisters Community Update! 📣

Thank you for following the Heart of Illinois Big Brothers Big Sisters page, formerly the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Knox County page. Due to recent challenges from some of our other pages, we have decided to combine the Knox County, Fulton County, and Heart of Illinois Big Brothers Big Sisters pages.

All three agencies work closely together to reach children in our communities and defend their potential. We are excited to share the updates, stories, and photos on one page!

Although we haven't posted in some time, we have been very busy connecting new matches! Meet some of our newest Big Brothers and Big Sisters with their Littles.