Stories: Featured Stories

Sunshine Coast resident Gary Van Horne, former Big Brother and current In-School Mentor, is now helping to start the Big Brothers Big Sisters Sunshine Coast Ambassadors Group.  Van Horne got involved with the children's charity just over 20 years ago when he signed up to become a Big Brother + More

What many of us look for in a volunteer opportunity is a chance to really make a difference in the community.  While some prefer to make monetary donations, others prefer to donate time.  With the New Year having just rolled by, it seems that we are more eager than ever to get involved.

Big Brothers of Greater Vancouver is encouraging everyone to pay it forward this New Year! With another year behind us and a new one waiting for us to explore, many people will be thinking about how to make this year better than the last. More than likely we’ll be making a new year’s resolution or two. So for this New Year, we challenge you to be a part of something BIG.

Sunshine Coast resident Dave Allen is the CEO of Just Business Magazine, a business magazine that celebrates the successes of local business people on the Sunshine Coast.  As the distribution and popularity of his magazine grows nationally, Allen took a moment to look back and talk to us about the people that helped him find his way on the path to success..

Rebagliati says that he wouldn't have become the man that he is today without the help of a few key people in his life, who inspired him and gave him the confidence to reach for the stars.  Rebagliati sat down with Big Brothers of Greater Vancouver to talk about the importance of having a positive role model in your life. 

COBS Bread is partnering with Big Brothers and Big Sisters once again to help promote volunteerism and to raise money for local Big Brothers Big Sisters agencies across Canada. Big Brother Jason and Little Brother Thorun were selected for the campaign's photoshoot.

We are all familiar with the regular phone call from a friendly person from Big Brothers asking if we have clothing to donate. But do you really know how that clothing helps kids get Big Brothers?.

As Television Media Sponsor for The 2010 Scotiabank Bowl for Big Brothers Classic the sixth year running, CTV annually produces a public service announcement (PSA) to help recruit companies to bowl and raise funds for Big Brothers.

As a partner agency of Kids Up Front, we believe that working together makes the lives of the children we serve that much brighter.

Rip Peterman joined the Big Brothers program at BBGV in 1979. Over the past 30 years, he has dedicated over 6,000 hours to mentoring. From 1979 to 2005, he was a mentor to six different Little Brothers who each benefited immensely from the friendship.

Being a mentor to a child doesn’t have to be hard work. You don’t have to be a working professional at the peak of your career, a straight A student in university or college or come from a wealthy well-mannered family.  All you need is a good head on your shoulders, a thirst for having fun and a little bit of time each week to spend with a child who could benefit from a positive role model.

North Vancouver resident Sherry Klassen skips out of work to go to school for one hour every week. During one recent school visit, she played on the spinning tornado until she was dizzy and hung upside down like a monkey from the monkey bars.

Schools have a variety of great programs for children and local Principal, Nadine Tambellini of Central Elementary in Port Coquitlam, believes that the Big Brothers programs are definitely in the top ten.

Big Brothers of Greater Vancouver is known for their mentoring programs benefiting children aged 7-12.  What is not commonly known is how often the program benefits the mothers of the children in them.  One such mother is Gini Guo.

Burnaby resident Jonathan Shively, 32, is studying neurobiology and biochemistry in medical school at the University of British Columbia. He grew up in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania as an only child and always wanted a brother to play golf or soccer with.

Surrey resident Rick Johal works full time as a child-care supervisor. He is also working towards completing his Bachelor of Social Work. Johal just finished his second year of studies at Kwantlen College and will attend UBC in the fall.

Dawson waited over two years to get a Big Brother. That's how long the average wait is for a boy in Surrey to get a Big Brother these days. But according to this fun-loving 12-year-old, it was definitely worth the wait.

Once a week, twenty-five-year-old Coquitlam resident Sara Allen drops into an elementary school to hang out with a friend. On a recent visit they made Christmas ornaments, played basketball and practiced the latest hip hop dance moves in the gym.