DYF Partners With Big Brothers Big Sisters for National Mentoring Month
Devils Youth Foundation to bring awareness to the positive power of mentors in children’s lives
Newark, NJ (January 3, 2023) – The Devils Youth Foundation, which serves as the charitable arm for the New Jersey Devils and Prudential Center, announced today its partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Essex, Hudson and Union Counties for National Mentoring Month, during January 2023. The month will focus on activations bringing awareness to the positive power of mentors in children’s lives. This serves as a special call to action around securing more male mentors (“Big Brothers”), given the increased number of boys (“Little Brothers”) on a waitlist for mentors coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Big Brothers Big Sisters works with volunteers, parents, and families to create one-to-one mentoring relationships that defend, inspire, and empower the potential that lives within every child.
National Mentoring Month kicks off today, January 1, 2023, with a social media campaign titles, “Who Was Your Mentor?”, which asks Devils’ fans to share their mentor stories. One lucky fan per week will be entered to win tickets to select New Jersey Devils home games and other prizes. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Essex, Hudson and Union Counties and the Devils Youth Foundation will spotlight mentors weekly, featuring five mentor and mentee pairs throughout the month.
At the Devils home game on Saturday, January 7th, Big Brothers Big Sisters mentors and mentees will participate in various in-game activities and Big Brothers Big Sisters will receive funds from that day’s 50/50 raffle run by Devils Care Foundation. The Devils Youth Foundation will also donate tickets to Big Brothers Big Sisters for select January Devils’ home games.
“The Devils care about our kids and our community,” said Carlos Lejnieks, CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Essex, Hudson & Union Counties. “Not only will this be a meaningful set of experiences for our youth, but we hope that this increased visibility we will help us attract more people towards our mentoring movement.”
“Creating safe spaces for children while promoting adult role models is a pillar of the Devils Youth Foundation’s mission and we are happy to work with Big Brothers Big Sisters to positively influence children’s lives through mentorship opportunities,” said Kate Whitman Annis, Executive Director, Devils Youth Foundation. “We hope by giving the mentors and mentees an opportunity to visit Prudential Center and see the impact sports and entertainment can make, we strengthen their bond and help continue the success of Big Brothers Big Sisters programming.”
BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Essex, Hudson and Union Counties, NJ, an affiliate of the national organization, creates and supports one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth, and to be a credible social justice organization embedded in our community. Founded in 2008, the local affiliate is a nationally recognized leader for its public-private partnerships and its delivery of a culturally responsive continuum of services rooted in each youth’s one-to-one mentoring relationship with an adult volunteer. Local agency youth on average graduate high school at an average of 96%. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Essex, Hudson and Union Counties has served over 4,400+ youth since its inception. Learn more at http://www.BigsandKids.org or follow the local agency on Facebook, Linkedin, Instagram or Twitter.