Big Sisters of RI boasts its fiscal fitness, the fact that they’re hiring AND is news that they’re now serving BOYS and girls.

Tremendous growth for one of RI’s non-profit organizations! Thanks to exceptional fiscal management and innovative leadership plus acquiring the largest grant in its history, Big Sisters RI is now in a position to expand its services and has begun the process of hiring new employees. They also announce that male and female role models are needed to help boys and girls.

 November 1, 2010

CRANSTON, R.I., -- At a time when hundreds of RI’s non-profits prepare to close their books “in the red”, Big Sisters of RI is rapidly expanding. In fact, the agency, which matches healthy adult role models with RI’s at-risk children, can now be viewed as a business role model to non-profit and for-profit organizations alike.

“Our success this year can be attributed to our entrepreneurial leadership style” says Executive Director Deborah Saunders who acquired her position just one year ago. During that time, profits from the organization’s donation center nearly doubled plus Big Sisters of RI last month received the largest grant in its history.

That money, totaling $910,000.00 over three years, will be distributed by the Administration on Children, Youth & Families’ Mentoring Children of Prisoners Grant Program: RI’s Coordinated Community Response to Addressing the Complex Needs of Children with Incarcerated Parents. The grant oversees a project where Big Sisters of RI with collaborative assistance from The RI Mentoring Partnership, Big Brothers of RI and The Urban League will provide at least 600 RI children with mentors over the term of the grant.

The organization’s profitability combined with its opportunity to triple the amount of children it helps has led the organization to become one of the few in the state that’s seeking more employees. “It’s my honor”, Saunders says, “to be able to be offer Rhode Islanders positions in an organization that’s just beginning a period of rapid growth”. Jobs available range from customer relation positions where little education or experience is needed to case managers and program directors. Those posts require bachelor and/or masters degrees.

This summer, Big Sisters of RI announced a bold new initiative to expand its services to help the state’s at-risk boys and girls. Saunders says “Big Brothers of RI has done a tremendous job but their criteria providing mentors only to boys without a male figure in their house leaves huge overflow of underserved boys. Our plan ensures that many more children regardless of gender will get help. And now we have the funds and manpower to do it.”

The commitment for becoming a mentor through Big Sisters of RI and the Big Mentor League is 6-8 hours per month for a minimum of one year.

Big Sisters of Rhode Island is committed to positively impacting the lives of children at-risk. Our mission is to reduce each child’s vulnerability and enable them to thrive emotionally, socially and academically; to help them grow into a strong and confidant young person ready to reach his or her full potential.

Contact:
Donna Mac,
Community Outreach Coordinator
DonnaMac@BigSistersRI.org
508-954-8279