Bourne Man and Edgartown Woman to be honored for their long-time mentoring friendships with local youth
Cape & Islands- Big Brothers Big Sisters of Cape Cod & the Islands (BBBSCCI) is making a real difference in the lives of nearly 350 youth on Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard and Plymouth, by creating and nurturing transformational one-to-one mentoring relationships. This year, Big Brother Alberto Gomez and Big Sister Kristen Gosselin are being honored and recognized as the Cape & Islands Big Brother and Big Sister of the Year for their immense impact on their Littles.
Every year, Big Brothers Big Sisters nominates one Big Brother and one Big Sister to be considered for their title of Big of the Year. In order to win the title, the mentor needs to exhibit superlative influence over his/her Little throughout their match, and both have done so for the past 15 years combined.
Alberto, a resident of Bourne, has been matched with his Little Brother, Jordan, from Falmouth, for almost 7 years. Jordan, now 14, says Alberto has been one of the biggest supports in his life. “Alberto taught me that even if things get bad, they can still be turned around. He has always been there for me no matter what, and I know I can call him anytime and he’ll be there.”
Kristen, a resident of Edgartown, has been matched with her Little Sister, Elaina of Vineyard Haven, for the past 9 years. “Kristen never gave up on me,” says Elaina, now 15. “When I was little and shy and in my own bubble, I wouldn’t always want to go out, but Kristen would always make it fun and helped me to break out.”
The agency will formally honor Gomez on Monday, June 5th at the 23rd annual Golf for Kids Tournament at the Cummaquid Golf Club in Yarmouth Port, and Gosselin on Friday, June 16th at the 11th annual Blooming Bids for Kids event on Martha’s Vineyard at the Field Gallery in West Tisbury. Golf reservations may be made on the tournament website: https://emassbigs.org/events/cape-golf-for-kids/ and Blooming Bids for Kids tickets and can be found on the events website: https://emassbigs.org/events/blooming-bids/
While Jordan and Elaina have been fortunate enough to experience the positive impact of having a Big, BBBS is always in need of volunteers to serve as mentors across the Cape, Martha’s Vineyard and Plymouth. The agency notes that the need for male volunteers is four times greater due to the large number of boys who are referred to the program. For more information, or to sign up, please visit www.CapeBigs.org or call 508-771-5150.
About Big Brothers Big Sisters of Cape Cod & the Islands
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Cape Cod & the Islands, a proud member of the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Mass, is the only one-to-one youth mentoring organization serving nearly 350 youth across Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard & Plymouth. Our program is proven to produce several positive long-term and short-term youth development outcomes. Research shows that a match of just one year helps kids stay in school, avoid violent and risky behavior, and gain confidence. To learn more about Big Brothers Big Sisters of Cape Cod & the Islands, please visit www.CapeBigs.org.