Big Brothers Big Sisters of Lanark County - BBBS Receives Ontario Trillium Foundation Funding

The Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) of Lanark County continue to grow as they launched a new initiative today, thanks to a $115,000 grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF). Smith Falls Mayor Dennis Staples and Lanark-Frontenac-Lennox and Addington MP Scott Reid joined OTF representative Bruce Duncan as BBBS of Lanark County held an open house in honour of the funding they’ve received.

Over the next three years, funding from OTF will be used to provide more children in Lanark County with traditional mentoring partnerships and to help ensure the success of BBBS programs. BBBS of Lanark County will be strengthened through the support as it will help bring sustainable programs and assist in the long term planning for the agency.

“We are so pleased that the Ontario Trillium Foundation has supported our work in this way,” states Jennifer Miller, Executive Director, BBBS Lanark County. “We will be making a concentrated effort to reach out to the public and to invite them to help us serve more children in Lanark County.”

The local agency has secured another full time employee to make public presentations about the agency and its programs, and would welcome invitations to speak to work groups, service clubs, churches and more. The agency will also be working to develop a long term strategic plan, with the support of the Ontario Trillium Foundation.

Since 1989, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Lanark County has been offering many mentoring programs with the core program being the Traditional Matching Program, which matches adult volunteers with children in need of mentors in the community. They are volunteer based organization which helps children reach their full potential through consistent, dependable and non-conditional adult friendship. BBBS of Lanark County’s goal is that every child who wants a mentor has a mentor. For more information, please contact Jennifer Miller at 613.283.0570.

The Ontario Trillium Foundation is an agency of the Government of Ontario. For over 25 years, the Foundation has supported the growth and vitality of communities across the province. OTF continues to strengthen the capacity of the volunteer sector through investments in community-based initiatives. For more information, please visit www.trilliumfoundation.org.