Bigs and Littles Enjoy Outings
Bigs and Littles enjoy coming together to get to know each other while having a great time. Bigs and Littles have played flag football at Cheviot Hills Park, went ice skating, went hiking on Fern Canyon Trail at Griffith Park and went bowling.

Allyn and Aurelio
A lot has happened to Big Brother Allyn and Little Aurelio since they met five years ago. Allyn, paralyzed from the neck down in 1993, was recovering and relearning his basic motor abilities when a church announcement about helping children with disabilities caught his attention. Soon afterward he was matched to Aurelio, a foster child who was 13 and mentally handicapped. Life for them has been challenging and rewarding. Aurelio found in Allyn a male role model and someone who encourages him and makes him feel special despite the challenges of his handicap. Aurelio is part of the family, and Allyn’s granddaughters, who live with him, see him as a brother. Allyn and Aurelio enjoy doing things together, like camping and fishing, and even fulfilled a dream by attending a Lakers game.

Mentoring Youth on Probation
For three years, CBBBS has provided superior mentoring services to youth on probation at 30 area high schools and community schools through several governmental grants. One example is Carmen, a 12 year old whose father had passed away and whose life was spiraling downward. She hung out with gang members, got into trouble with the law and fell behind in school. Then she met the CBBBS Youth Service Specialist mentor at her school. She received support and encouragement to make a change, and the drive to do it. She has put the negative behaviors behind her, is improving in school and plans to attend college.

return

Magic Mountain Christmas Party
About 100 Bigs and Littles gathered at Magic Mountain to celebrate the holidays. They shared a delicious picnic lunch, played games for some cool prizes and then had the rest of the day to enjoy the rides. Each match also received a gift bag full of special items.

High School Bigs Success Story
High School Big Fawrad is in ninth grade and wanted to help younger children. Having come from Pakistan only a year earlier, he was somewhat hesitant to get involved in a CBBBS High School Bigs program sponsored at his school. With encouragement from the CBBBS program manager, he got involved and became a mentor to several elementary school children in a nearby after-school program. As he has grown in responsibility and leadership, his Littles too have learned to work hard, cooperate and self-respect.

return

Big Sisters Have Arrived
Big Sisters are now an integral part of the CBBBS program. For decades the agency only matched boys with men, but has now expanded to include girls and women. The response has been outstanding. Women have so much to offer young girls. And mothers realize their daughters can benefit from the friendship of another female role model.

CBBBS VISTA Bikes for Bucks

CBBBS Vista volunteer Jennifer Murphy ”Murphy”) rode from Seattle to Los Angeles to raise money and bring attention to the importance of mentoring. Braving long days, steep hills and fast-moving trucks, she made the journey in under a month. Like she has said to CBBBS potential volunteers, “if you do something you love and help others along the way, you’ll have a full life.”

Youth Create Memorial Mural
Through a government grant, CBBBS has provided mentoring services to probation youth in the San Gabriel Valley. Assisted by an internationally recognized artist and the CBBBS staff, the youth created a mural to express their feelings and fears caused by the events of September 11, 2001. They all participated - some painted; some wrote poetry; others researched. The mural is to be placed at a County office in East Los Angeles.

return

National Big Brother of the Year Rides Rose Parade Float

Michael Bowler, the national Big Brother of the Year for 2000, rode with his Little Brother David on Big Brothers Big Sisters of America's first-ever Tournament of Roses float on January 1, 2001. Bowler, a resident of Chatsworth and special education teacher at Hawthorne High School, has volunteered as a Big Brother for more than 17 years at the Catholic Big Brothers Big Sisters agency in Los Angeles. He was honored with the national award for his commitment as a one-to-one youth mentor and for his volunteer and advocacy work for Catholic Big Brothers Big Sisters. He was selected from more than 500 nominating affiliates and 130,000 volunteers across the country.

Mentoring kids is an important part of Bowler's life. From his day job as a special education teacher, to his endless hours volunteering in the Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing Program at Catholic Big Brothers Big Sisters and in the Los Angeles County juvenile detention system, he makes a positive impact on hundreds of youth. Four of those are his current and former Little Brothers, all of whom have become lifelong friends.

Also riding on the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America float in the Rose Parade were 2000 Olympic pole-vaulting gold medallist Stacy Dragila of Idaho and her Little Sister Logan, Miss Washington Semmelle Ford and her Little Sister Carissa, and Damon Lee of Los Angeles and his Little Brother Daniel.

return

Local Hero Sent Packing "Down Under"!!

Mike Bowler, National Big Brother of the Year, and his Little Brother David were sent on an all-expense paid trip to Australia for the Sydney Olympics in September, 2000.

Vaseline Intensive Care Lotion, a national sponsor of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, provided the trip, which included admission to several Olympic events and the Opening Ceremonies. The trip was given to him in recognition of his accomplishments as a one-to-one youth mentor in the Catholic Big Brothers Big Sisters' Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing Program.

For as long as he can remember, there have been a string of kids looking to him for support and encouragement - he has had four Little Brothers during his 17 years of volunteerism with Catholic Big Brothers Big Sisters, and has counseled countless others during his weekly visits to incarcerated youth in the Los Angeles juvenile detention system.

Mike and David were accompanied on their trip to Sydney by Big Sister of the Year Joanne Colsen of Connecticut and her Little Sister Jena. All four came home to the States with marvelous memories of an adventure "down under."

return