Shannon- Run for Kids Sake

When you support Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central New Mexico, you change lives for children, here in your Community! 

It is that time of year where Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central New Mexico organizes our biggest fundraiser of the year! We come together to have a good time and create teams to raise money for our matches, our youth, our community! However, with a pandemic we are approaching things a little different.

During a recent team meeting, we were asked about an “a-ha moment” that we have personally experienced. One that resonated with us about working with BBBS. I would like to share mine with you all. When I first started working at BBBS-CNM, I was hired as an Enrollment Specialists Piece Worker. This position is responsible for interviewing potential Volunteer/Mentors/Bigs and also families. It’s a big role that gets to meet all the amazing candidates for the program. The first interview I conducted after I completed my training was for a  potential Little Brother and his mother. The interview process was long and thorough but everyone was so incredibly invested and everything went well. You can tell mom wanted this as much for her son as he did, but remained cautiously optimistic as she thanked me for my time. Being new, I was learning so much and time was breezing by. 

About, a month later I went into the office to conduct another interview. Feeling prepared I was walking confidently until I was taken aback by what I saw. There was my first interview family in the office! Little Brother was getting matched with a Big Brother! For the first time, I saw that cautiously optimistic mother almost unrecognizable! The mother saw me, she walked up to me with a huge smile on her face, she thanked me for helping her son and gave me a warm hug. My heart was full and At that very moment I knew that this job and working at BBBS was perfect for me.

I have been working for BBBS-CNM now for over five years. I manage a wonderful team that matches youth with mentors in our community. With the support of our community we can keep igniting potential in all youth.

I am a mentor in our high school based program mentor2.0. This is my first year being matched in this program. I am excited to see my match develop over the next few years. Seeing my first interview family, and knowing how we change the lives of our communities youth every day, I couldn’t help but become a mentor myself!

I am so thankful that I found a place where I belong and can support our community.