Big Brothers Big Sisters was founded in 1904 in New York City and is the oldest and largest youth mentoring organization in the United States. It hires social workers as case managers to recruit, train, screen, and match volunteers with children. Across the country, 123 Big Brothers Big Sisters agencies have been trained by Benevon. We will be sharing their stories periodically.

BBBS of Central Maryland had a former Little Sister, Shirley, share her powerful story at their one-hour fundraising event. Growing up, this bi-racial girl was overweight, had a poor self-image, and felt like she didn't fit anywhere. Her Big Sister, Willarda, a doctor, helped her battle her weight, make friends, and encouraged her to stay in school. As a result of this special friendship, Shirley graduated from college, got married, and now works in the communications field.

The match made between Shirley (left) and Willarda (right) was life changing for Shirley.

Twenty years later, the two women are still in touch and as close as ever. Willarda was unable to make the fundraising event but sent a message of love to her special Little Sister.

"It was very inspiring," said Robin Tomechko, the president and CEO of BBBS of Central Maryland. She said some national staff of BBBS were there and told her that they cried three times just as the Benevon Model encourages.

"Shirley was talking about her experiences and she was just speaking from the heart," Tomechko said.

Tomechko started out with BBBS of Central Maryland twenty-two years ago as a social worker and became the CEO seven years ago. She's witnessed powerful stories of matches over the years, but the group has never truly focused on them in this way. It was through training and coaching at Benevon that they really sat down and hashed out their Essential Story^™.

Their story hit a nerve with the audience, something Tomechko wasn't expecting. She had told herself she'd be happy with $10,000, so she didn't have high expectations for raising a lot of money. Her group's Ask Event™ had 130 attendees—not the 200 to 300 they were expecting. At one point, she was even thinking of postponing the event from last November to May. But the national BBBS staff said "No," Tomechko recalled. They told her, "You've got to do it! You've waited too long already. You've got to do it. We know you can do it."

Shirley is still in touch with her "Big Sister," Willarda, more than 20 years after being matched.

So they did.

Prior to the Ask Event, they secured a $400,000 challenge grant from a foundation focused on individual giving. Tomechko said it was through the Benevon training that they even had the guts to ask for that much.

"The one thing that we learned is that you don't get anywhere unless you ask," she said.

At their one-hour fundraising event, people were generous beyond her expectations.

"It's like when you come back from your honeymoon and you open all your gifts," she said of the morning they counted the pledge cards. "We just had all the cards and the staff around and everybody was cheering and celebrating."

They brought in $283,000 in gifts and pledges just from the event!

"We had no idea," said Tomechko of the success.

She said one person that they had never even met before donated $10,000 a year for five years.

A nun in attendance, she said, wrote on her pledge card, "I'm so sorry I took a vow of poverty but I'll check this value in prayer," and she checked $1,000 for five years.

In hindsight, Tomechko counts the success to cultivating and training her thirty-five-member board and having powerful monthly introductory Point of Entry^® Events. They hold tours at their offices where they decorate the office and cubicles to reflect their work. They also make sure to have a "Big," "Little," or parent to talk about their experience.

Tomechko said the staff at BBBS sees enormous benefits to their one-to-one mentoring—kids are improving their grades in school, they're feeling better about themselves, and they're staying away from drugs and alcohol.

She said many of the kids in the Baltimore area have parents that are incarcerated or live in dire circumstances. The BBBS program, she said, exposes the kids to the world so they can better see their options and make better life choices.

BBBS of Central Maryland works with 1,300 children currently but has a goal of 5,000 by 2010.

Now that goal seems more attainable, said Tomechko.

"I think we have much more visibility than ever before," she said.

Read a story about Big Brothers Big Sisters of Sangamon County.