Lehigh Valley Companies Encouraged to LEAD BIG Through New Big Brothers Big Sisters Membership Program

ALLENTOWN, PA – September 26, 2019 – Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Lehigh Valley is showing local companies how an investment in their community grows into an investment in the future workforce when they help to close the mentoring gap for local children.

It’s through the new “LEAD BIG: The Partnership for Potential” corporate membership club, which directly aligns the business sector with BBBSLV’s powerful mission and Big & Little (mentor/mentee) mentoring programs. One-to-one mentoring has been proven to help change the trajectory of a child’s life by providing them with the support they need, improving their grades and relationships with peers, and increasing high school graduation rates.

Each 1-to-1 mentoring match costs the nonprofit organization $1,200 annually to create and professionally-support during the span of their relationship. More than 270 local children are waiting to be matched with a Big Brother or Big Sister mentor, resulting in the mentoring gap. The program’s goal is to support 50 Big and Little matches over the course of the next year through direct sponsorships by corporate partners. To drive volunteerism, LEAD BIG members are asked to share information regarding BBBSLV youth mentoring programs with their employees.

LEAD BIG membership tiers include Visionary at $12,000; Pioneer at $6,000; Partner at $3,600; and Match Maker at $1,200. Kicking off the new program as inaugural LEAD BIG members are the following corporate partners:

B. Braun Medical
Capital Blue Cross
Magellan Behavioral Health of Pennsylvania
PPL
UGI Utilities
West Side Hammer Electric

Program benefits vary based on membership tier and include an array of incentives like invitations to LEAD BIG professional development and networking events, BBBSLV mission-focused events, and promotional and marketing benefits.

“LEAD BIG: The Partnership for Potential is designed to engage leaders within the Lehigh Valley business sector in helping us close the significant mentoring gap that exists here. While it serves to address a community-wide problem, it’s also a celebration of the collective impact we can have as leaders working together,” said Susan Bartels, CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Lehigh Valley.

“LEAD BIG is a unique chance to have a positive impact for our youth, and we look forward to creating mentoring opportunities for boys and girls in the Lehigh Valley,” commented Aubrey Proud, Director of Communications and Community Relations with Magellan Behavioral Health of Pennsylvania.

Companies can learn more and become a member at https://give.classy.org/LEADBIG

The Big Brothers Big Sisters mission is to create and support one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth. For almost 50 years, Big Brothers Big Sisters Lehigh Valley has partnered with parents/guardians, schools, corporations, and others in the Lehigh Valley to pair children (Littles) with qualified, trained volunteers (Bigs) and monitor these one-to-one relationships throughout their course. www.BBBSLV.org

Information Provided By:
Tracey Werner, Blabbermouth Communications
tracey@blabbermouthcommunications.com