Meet at Past Match: Marg & Cody - Together for over 25 years!

 Marg & Cody 

(Photos were taken by Daniel Cullen Photography)

Story by: Krista Webb

Marg and Cody’s story is truly inspiring.  They were first matched back in 2000, when Cody was just 10 years old and Marg was old enough to be his grandmother. But despite the age difference between the pair, their relationship blossomed right after they met. Flash-forward 16 years, and Marg and Cody still have a really special relationship. So special, in fact, that last year Cody moved in with Marg and her husband, Roger, and he refers to Marg as his “grandma”. 

Their relationship has been different than most matches since the very beginning. Cody was a sweet, kind, sensitive young boy who loved having an adult friend to hang out with just him for an hour every week. Marg, who is a very kind and caring woman, got along with Cody right off the bat. They talked, drew pictures, painted, played cards, and made up fun games. 

Marg and Cody’s In-School Mentoring match was closed when Cody finished grade 7, but their relationship didn’t stop there. They continued to see each other outside of school, and soon became a part of each other’s families. Marg would watch Cody’s hockey games and take him to baseball games and wrestling matches, and Cody would spend time at Marg and Roger’s cottage. 

Cody only has nice things to say about Marg and how she’s affected him. “She’s been a constant presence in my life. To this day she’s one of the only people I can count on.”

Marg and Roger have mentored many in their lives, and they’ve invited quite a few non-family members to live with them over the past 40 years, so it’s really no surprise that Marg’s non-biological Little Brother now lives with her and her husband in Port Perry. Roger has also become an unofficial mentor to Cody over the years, and Cody looks up to him a lot, too.

Marg acknowledges that Cody wasn’t the only one getting something out of their match. “It’s very rewarding to see someone grow up and do well, when it could have gone so differently,” says Marg. Cody says that he thinks his life would have been “1,000 % different” if he had never met Marg. He admits he got into some trouble in high school and knew he was going down a bad path, but when he decided to change his ways, it was partially due to the fact that he didn’t want to disappoint Marg and Roger. 

Marg has encouraged Cody to continue his education, and he has plans to attend Durham College in the fall for the Fitness and Health Promotion program. Marg is so proud of the young man Cody has become. They both agree that Marg gave him confidence, and by supporting him in whatever he did, she has helped shape him into the person he is today. 

If you're interested in learning more information about the Big Brothers Big Sisters mentoring programs, please call Cheryl Doyle at 905-985-3733 ext 2, or visit www.BigBrothersBigSisters.ca/NorthDurham.

Meet our Staff: Mentoring Coordinator, Becky Lawlor

Name: Becky Lawlor
Nickname: Little Bird, Beck
Age: 25
Horoscope Sign: Pisces
Kids: None (yet)
Fiance: Cody
Pets: A bunny named Thumper

I asked her a few questions so that we could get to know her better...here they are:

Favourite colour: Pink
Dream vacation: Bora Bora
Favourite food: Mac & Cheese
Biggest pet peeve: When people don't listen
What did you want to be when you were a kid?: Dolphin Trainer
What did you take in school?: Child and Youth Worker
Favourite vacation to date: Cuba with Cody
Favourite movie: Anything Nicholas Sparks
Favourite Book: Don't like reading
Favourite Band/Artist: Anything Country
Favourite T-Show (of all time): Friends
Favourite Season: Summer (she loves the heat)
 What's your favourite thing about working at BBBSND?: Our team, and seeing how happy with kids are with their mentor.

Becky lives in Epsom with her fiance and her family with her bunny, Thumper, her fiance's dog, Dexter, and family dog, Cali.

She joined the BBBBSND team back in 2013 and can be seen around many different schools all over North Durham!

Right now, she is busy planning her wedding with Cody, that will be in June 2017 at their family home.

In her spare time, she likes to go four wheeling, travelling to tropical destinations, hanging out with friends, and going camping. You won't catch her shopping though, she hates it!

Becky has been matched with Little Sister, Hailey, for 2 years now!  (Read her blog post about that here)

I hope you enjoyed getting to know our Mentoring Coordinator, Becky, a little bit better!

If you're interested in learning more information about our Mentoring Programs, please call Cheryl Doyle at 905-985-3733 ext 2.  

Our Umteenth Wing & Pizza Night Success

On February 27th, we held our 19th, 20th, 21st (we don't know exactly) Wing & Pizza Night fundraiser at the Scugog Community Centre, and let me tell you, we had a BLAST! 

We honestly couldn't imagine a more delicious event in Scugog. I mean, we have TWELVE restaurants there serving up their BEST wings and pizza. Do you know how many wings and slices of pizza were eaten that night? I don't know either, but I'm going to guess around 5,000 wings, and about 400 slices of pizza. Yes, there was a lot of carbs in that room, but it was all worth it for our great cause! 

Here were this years participants:

The Pub, Durham Homestyle Gourmet, Food Man,  Vos Independent,  Great Blue Heron Charity Casino, Harp & Wylies, Clem's Custom Wing Shop, Col. Mustards, Dominos, Bona Via Pizzeria, Crusty Pizza, & Jim's Pizza and Pasta

The winner of best pizza goes to: Crusty Pizza!! 

The winner of best wings goes to: Harp & Wylie's!!

Congratulations to you both!!

We had over 350 guests--a fabulous turnout-- who enjoyed said wings and pizza, and who danced the night away to the sweet tunes Dj-ed by Mr. Todd Soomre (the best dj, in our opinion).

Don't worry, there was dessert too, to round out the nice buffet. We had mini, scrumptious cupcakes from Cakes by Stephanie, and just as many cookies from Asphalt Cookie Company, and we can honestly say not a single one was left! The dessert paired nicely with the coffee donated by Tim Horton's :)

There were over 90 (!!!) silent auction items, donated mostly by generous local businesses and friends of our organization, which generated over $5,000 for us! Thank you, lovely folk, for bidding high and often!

We had 1 very excited winner of our West Jet Raffle who plans on jetting off to New Brunswick to visit her brother-in-law, we hope you have a fabulous time with your FREE airfare!

Ohmygoodness, the amount of volunteers we had was truly crazy. I can honestly say that that night could NOT function without our volunteers, and so we are forever thankful to you, as you are a big part of our success!!

With everyone's help, we were able to raise over $17,000!!!

This night is our biggest of the year and we want to thank everyone for coming, donating, participating and supporting us as it's the children and youth in North Durham who truly benefit from your generosity!!! 

If you'd like to see what this event is all about, we're hosting one in Uxbridge on April 30th, 2016 at the Uxbridge Community Centre! Click here for more details.

Annual Wing & Pizza Night- Port Perry

Hey y'all! 

It's about that time again for our biggest and best fundraising event of the year! Do you like mouth-watering wings? How about pizza? Well this is the event for you! 

Saturday, February 27 at the Scugog Community Centre

Tickets are $30 cash only

(only available in advance. You can book a table if 8 tickets are bought)

Doors open at 7:00pm and food is served from 8:00-9:30pm

 

This year, we have 12 restaurants participating, and we want to know who you like best! Here are the contenders:

Wings:
The Pub
Durham Homestyle Gourmet
Food Man
Vos Independent
Great Blue Heron Charity Casino
Harp & Wylies
Clem's Custom Wing Shop
Col. Mustards

Pizza:
Dominos
Bona Via Pizzeria
Crusty Pizza
Jim's Pizza and Pasta

 

Last year, we had a tie for Best Wings with Harp & Wylie's and Clem's Custom Wing Shop, and the winner of Best Pizza was Bona Via Pizzeria! 

Do you agree? Come to the event, try every flavour and vote!

Make sure you save room for Old Flame Brewing Co. beer on tap!

There will be also be a silent auction, cash bar and dance!

Like us on Facebook to see the auction prizes before the event!

Mr. Todd Soomre will be the DJ! (We know he's the best) 

Tickets can be purchased at our office (The Scout Hall-15585 Simcoe St. Port Perry), PPPrint, Gus Brown, Flawless Dry Cleaners and the Scugog Arena.

Call 905-985-3733 ext. 4 for more information! 

 

New Year's Rockin' Eve Party

What are you doing for New Year's Eve? Celebrate the start of 2016 with us!

On Thursday, December 31, join us at the Port Perry Legion where will celebrate 2015 and ring in 2016!

Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at Gus Brown, PP Print, Flawless Dry Cleaners, The Port Perry Legion and our office (The Scout Hall). Call 905-985-3733 ext. 4 for more details.

No tickets will be sold after December 23.

There will be New Year's Party favours, a cash bar, a late night buffet, champagne at Midnight and of course, DJ Todd Soomre!

 

Meet our staff: Executive Director, Margaret Ayres

Here is the first of our "Meet our Staff" series, because we want you to know us on a more personal level! 

Meet Margie! 

Name: Margaret Wanless-Ayres
Age: Unknown
Horoscope sign:  Aries
Kids: 4
Husband: Mike
Pets: a 4-year old mix, Kasey

I asked her a few questions so that we could get to know her better...here they are:

Favourite movie: Wizard of Oz
Favourite artist/band: Johnny Reid, Shania Twain, Tim McGraw
Favourite book: Green Eggs & Ham
Favourite vacation you've ever been on: Hawaii
Favourite food: surf & turf
Favourite colour: Red
Dream car: DeLorean
Dream vacation: Back to Hawaii!

If you live in Port Perry, you've definitely seen our very own Margie Ayres in the papers 1 million times (pretty much on a weekly basis). It's a big joke with everyone she knows...and when she's not in the paper (rarely) people always ask where has she been?!

Margie has been at Big Brothers Big Sisters of North Durham for 17 years!! She started out as part-time, and worked her way up to a full-time Executive Director position 6 years ago.

In Margie's "spare time" (quotes because she doesn't have spare time) Margie volunteers for other local organizations and always always helps out families in our community. If you need something, you can ALWAYS could on Margie to help you out. We swear, her heart is made of pure gold.

Margie is very very involved in so many different aspects of our community. She is a member of the 100 Women of Uxbridge, she is a founding member of 100 Women of Scugog, she's on the Chamber of Commerce, and she has a Little Brother with us!

Margie got matched with her Little, Matthew, 2 years ago in the In-School Program. Margie and Matthew are now registered in both the ISM Program, and Traditional Program, meaning that she mostly sees him at the school, but she's allowed to see him outside of school, and just recently she started driving him to his first job!

So there you have it folks, Margie in a nutshell! We'd also like to add that she's a GREAT boss and such a kind, loving person! What a great person to have as ED of our organization! If you do not know Margie (doubtful, she knows everyone) stop in, she'd love to meet you!

Photos were taken by the amazing Daniel Cullen.

Sponsor a local Family this year

"There's no better feeling than giving to others"

The holiday season is upon us! 

Every year, all year, we try and give as much to our families as we can. If someone drops off gently used clothes, furniture, and toys we make sure they make it into the hands of someone who truly needs them in our community.

Since it's almost Christmas time, we want to amp it up a notch. Last year was our first year asking the local community to "adopt" one of our families and give them a Christmas they will certainly remember. It was amazing! Community members came forward and in total we had 4 families sponsored! We appreciate the sponsorship, but believe me, our families appreciate it much much more.

The beauty and simplicity of this program is that the person/persons who adopt the family gets to decide how much they want to spend on the family...it's all up to you! We do give you "Wish Lists" if you would like, with things that the child may ask for, or what the parents need, but it's really all up to you! Anything that you can give to these families is truly appreciated.

Currently, we have 3 families of different sizes who are still waiting to be adopted this Christmas! If you're interested in adopting one of these families, please email Krista at krista.duke@bigbrothersbigsisters.ca or call at 905-985-3733 ext 4 for more information.

Thank you to Fisher's Independent for donating groceries to some of our families in Brock Township this year!

Easy DIY Halloween Costumes

So we were recently perusing through Google images looking for Halloween costumes, so we thought we thought we would share some that would definitely nominate you for some costume prizes at our Halloween Spooktacular Party!

I've just recently started watching American Horror Story, so I thought this would be kinda cool, and easy-- all you need it some white sheets, white and black face paint!

Need a REALLY easy group costume? Why not be DOMINOS!

Dora's backpack may involve some creativity, but the rest of the costume is basic! I think even a plain purple backpack would do :)

 I'm REALLY digging this group Troll costume. This could also be a single costume, or as many as you want, really! If you wanted to be punny, you could somehow make this into an internet troll!

 

I ALWAYS find sugar skulls very impressive!

I'm a sucker for anything Addams Family, so this Wednesday Addams costume is not only easy to pull off, but it's a classic!

And lastly, if you're in a pickle for a costume, you can always go as the Black Eyed Peas :)

Hope to see you at our Halloween Spooktacular Party! All proceeds benefit the children/youth in North Durham!

Please note this is a 19+ event.

http://www.bigbrothersbigsisters.ca/northdurham/en/Home/events/halloween-spooktacular-party.aspx

 

Could your child use our programs?

Our programs are not just for children who have a single parent anymore...our Mentoring Programs are designed for children in all walks of life.

Big Sister Gill, and Little Sister, Cailey. Read their story here. 

How do you know if your child could use a mentor?

Could your child use improved social skills? Does your child need a friend? Does your child need a non-family member to rely on? Does your child need a non-family member to talk to? Does your child like to have fun? If you can answer 'yes' to any of these questions, than your child could be eligible for a mentor!

Studies show that mentoring helps kids stay in school, avoid risky behavior such as bullying, and grow up having more respect for family, peers and community.

We have different programs available to suit the needs of all children and volunteers.
 
Our In-School Mentoring Program takes place once a week, for 1 hour, in the school, for the duration of the school year.

Our Traditional Mentoring Program takes place once a week, usually for 3-5 hours (depends on the Big/Little and the activities), outside of school.

We also have a few group programs which are recommended from the school to certain parents. 


        


All of our programs strive to do the following:

• provide a role model and a friend for girls and boys.
• promote the importance of staying in school and healthy relationships with family and peers.
• instill trust and self-confidence in order to make healthy decisions.
• encourage leadership skills and independent thinking.
• and above all, make a difference while having fun.

For more information on each of our programs, please visit our website here.

If you're interested in learning more information about our mentoring programs, please call Cheryl Holmes at 905-985-3733 ext 2.   






                                                                                                                            Big Brother, Mike and Little Brother, Jack. Read their story here.

Our Halloween Spooktacular Party

Please join us at our Halloween Spooktacular Party!

We LOVE creative costumes...so start thinking about it now!

 

Guest Blogger: Mentor Krista Duke "I love talking about what's really important right now"

 Written by Krista Duke

I’ve worn a couple different hats since my time at BBBSND. First, I was our Public Relations co-op student back in 2010, now a staff member as the Special Events Coordinator since 2013, an In-School Mentor back in 2013-2014 and a Go Girls Mentor for 2 different sessions in 2014 and 2015. Today, I’d like to talk about my wonderful experiences as a mentor for the Go-Girls Program. 

In the fall of 2014, I ran a Go Girls group-Mentoring Program at Greenbank Public School. Since this program is only 7, 1-hour long sessions, I knew that it wasn’t a huge time commitment, but that the impact could be huge. I loved this program so much because I got to talk to the girls about really important things like healthy eating, staying active, bullying, self-confidence, but also about really relevant issues that are going on today, like the power of what you post on social media, eating disorders, mental health, etc. I don't act like I'm an expert on any of these topics, but I simply share what I know, share any personal experiences (the girls love that) and tell true stories (the girls also love that).

 I feel so passionate about interacting with today’s youth because I get to listen what they think and then pass along my ‘wisdom’ and advice. In the spring of 2015, I mentored a group of girls who were in grade 8, getting ready for graduation, which was a perfect time to segway into talking about all things ‘high school’. Although I’m 10 years older than the girls, it still feels like yesterday I was in their shoes, doing things like dieting even though I didn’t need to, worrying about what people thought of me, and was boy-crazy! 

One of Krista's Go Girls wrote this about her.

I love having my voice heard by these impressionable young girls who have their whole lives ahead of them. I know what I’m telling them is important and that if they really listen to what I’m saying, it could make a huge difference for them. If there is one thing that I say over and over again, in a thousand different ways over the 7 weeks, it’s to be themselves, exactly as they are! I was always telling the girls that in high school, I spent the first 3 years trying to fit in to the popular crowd (which I never did fit in with), and I’ve always regretted it. I was always trying to do what was “cool” and not necessarily what I wanted to do (which was probably staying home watching movies).  When I was in grade 12, I finally realized that I didn’t care what the popular kids thought of me, because I realized that people liked my crazy, weird, different self, something that I had tried to hide for so long. I was able to be loud, sang off-key often, dance around in the halls and wore whatever I felt like. Grade 12 was the best year of my high school career because I made friends based on who I truly was. I tell that story to my girls to hopefully set them free to be whoever they want to be, and not to be scared or intimidated in high school.

This year, I plan on running another Go Girls Program with the hopes of telling those girls the exact same thing. I want to empower these young women, and this program makes it so easy to do that. I show up every week, for 1 hour, read what I’m given, and talk openly with the girls about what’s really important right now. I can’t wait to meet the next group of my Go Girls!

If you're interested in learning more information about our mentoring programs, please call Cheryl Holmes at 905-985-3733 ext 2.  

Do you have 1 hour a week for 7 weeks?

 Do you have 1 hr/week for 7 weeks?

TIME is often the one thing that holds people back from wanting to mentor.

Mentoring may be easier than you think. 

If you're under 30, you can run a Go Girls or Game On group program that only takes 1 hour per week, for 7 weeks, and then that's it, you're done! Best of all, both programs are so structured, and we provide you with ALL materials/supplies you need, so all you need to do is follow the program each week and interact with the boys or girls.


Go Girls! is a program designed for girls in grade 7 and 8, and focuses on healthy eating habits, social trends and how to handle them, being physically active, self-esteem and self-confidence.

Game On is designed for boys in grade 7 and 8, and focus on being physically active, working on social skills, and healthy eating, and emotional health.

Both of these programs are fun, simple to implement and so rewarding, for both you and the kids in the program! 

If you are over 30, you can run a Kids In Motion program, which also runs 1 hour per week, for 7 weeks. Find more information here.

To find out more information about these and other programs we offer, visit our website here.

If you're interested in learning more information about our mentoring programs, please call Cheryl Holmes at 905-985-3733 ext 2.  

Meet a Mentor: Gord Humphrey

Mentor Profile: Gord Humphrey

If you live in Port Perry, or went to Port Perry High School, you probably know (the now retired teacher) Gord Humphrey.  Gord has been a  BBBS mentor since retiring 5 years ago, and as of 2013  an active Board Member.

In the 5 years he’s been with us, Gord has been an In-School mentor to 5 boys. In-School Mentoring is a program sponsored  by BBBS in which mentor and mentees meet for 1 hour a week in school.  There is no formal contact in the  summers but, in continuing relationships, things pick up again as soon as school starts in September.

At present Gord has 3 mentees all of whom go to RH Cornish, with one in grade 6 and 2 in grade 8.  Each of Gord’s boys have different interests so Gord gets to participate in a wide range of activities in the 3 hours a week he’s mentoring. Ryan really likes sports, so he and Gord play volleyball, football, and basketball, and compete with each other throwing the javelin, something that Ryan is exceptionally good at.  Ethan is really into the card game Magic, so much of the time with Ethan is  spent playing Magic with Ethan being patient while teaching Gord how to play and the complex strategies found in the game. Bryan is up for anything; often sports, baseball, basketball and wallball being favourites  but Brian also enjoys indoor activities including building with Lego and Kinect.

Gord says that he has a pretty good bond with all 3 boys. Each of his mentees is unique but the time together has allowed Gord to know  them as individuals and so learn how to talk and interact with each of them.  Not only does he think that the impact on the kids is profound, but mentoring is fulfilling for him, as well. “Most of my extra-curricular activities are volunteer-based, you know, doing something that I think is worthwhile, and in school mentoring certainly seems to be worthwhile” says Gord.

Gord says that being a mentor is very similar to being a teacher, but has an even closer parallel in  being a sports coach. Gord has been a coach all of his adult life, and being a coach he feels is all about mentoring with sport as the vehicle to influence kids in positive ways. Gord feels that being involved in the community is important, and he says “In school mentoring with BBBS is one way I can feel good about myself and have a positive impact on someone else.”

Gord is looking forward to the fall so he can see the boys again  and hear what they have been up to. He is looking forward to seeing what this next  year brings!

If you're interested in learning more information about our mentoring programs, please call Cheryl Holmes at 905-985-3733 ext 2.