A word from our National Office:
It is with great honor and humility that I serve as the first Black President and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and represent this incredible mentoring network and powerful mission. I have had the opportunity to get to know the incredible people who drive our work forward and feel tremendous gratitude to these passionate professionals and volunteers across the country who stand united in our beliefs and values to becoming a more just, equitable, diverse, and inclusive organization.
With more than 70 percent of the young people we serve being people of color - many of our Littles look like me. When I was growing up, I faced a lot of the obstacles Littles face -- there were a lot of inequities in my community. My family did not have a lot of resources. But I was lucky enough to have a village around me, to have supportive adults to keep me grounded and show me how to be successful. They gave me a strong moral compass, and they empowered me to become the first person in my family to graduate from college. Every day, everyone who works for Big Brothers Big Sisters or volunteers as a Big, has the chance to make sure young people, all young people, have someone in their life who can do that for them, too.
So how do we stand together in a world that seems so divided? How do we empower kids along a path that is faced with so many challenges and uncertainties? These are questions we are all grappling with, but make no mistake, these are not new questions or challenges. In fact, Big Brothers Big Sisters was founded on the premise of creating innovation and solutions from some of the very challenges prevalent across our communities.
For more than 116 years, this organization has been matching children with mentors who ignite their potential. Throughout that history, we have remained committed to seeing children as whole people, no matter who they are or what they have been through. We have remained committed to bridging divides in our communities. And we recognize our commitment needs to become more perfect over time and more inclusive of race, gender, and diverse backgrounds. As CEO, I cannot promise that we will never make mistakes, but I can promise that we will remain open and dedicated to understanding and change. We will always strive to do better, be better, and show up for all young people.
Artis Stevens
President and CEO
Big Brothers Big Sisters of America
With more than 70 percent of the young people we serve being people of color - many of our Littles look like me. When I was growing up, I faced a lot of the obstacles Littles face -- there were a lot of inequities in my community. My family did not have a lot of resources. But I was lucky enough to have a village around me, to have supportive adults to keep me grounded and show me how to be successful. They gave me a strong moral compass, and they empowered me to become the first person in my family to graduate from college. Every day, everyone who works for Big Brothers Big Sisters or volunteers as a Big, has the chance to make sure young people, all young people, have someone in their life who can do that for them, too.
So how do we stand together in a world that seems so divided? How do we empower kids along a path that is faced with so many challenges and uncertainties? These are questions we are all grappling with, but make no mistake, these are not new questions or challenges. In fact, Big Brothers Big Sisters was founded on the premise of creating innovation and solutions from some of the very challenges prevalent across our communities.
For more than 116 years, this organization has been matching children with mentors who ignite their potential. Throughout that history, we have remained committed to seeing children as whole people, no matter who they are or what they have been through. We have remained committed to bridging divides in our communities. And we recognize our commitment needs to become more perfect over time and more inclusive of race, gender, and diverse backgrounds. As CEO, I cannot promise that we will never make mistakes, but I can promise that we will remain open and dedicated to understanding and change. We will always strive to do better, be better, and show up for all young people.
Artis Stevens
President and CEO
Big Brothers Big Sisters of America
OUR COMMITMENT TO JEDI |
Together we affirm that every person has the opportunity to reach their full potential. We are committed to creating and cultivating a safe environment where all individuals feel respected and valued equally. We are committed to a nondiscriminatory and anti-racist approach and are committed to dismantling any inequities within our policies, systems, programs and services.
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At Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Central Ohio, justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) is an integral part of our values and mission. We recognize, affirm, and celebrate the diverse backgrounds, lives, and experiences of all of our stakeholders, including youth, families, donors, volunteers, and staff. We ensure the opportunity for all voices and perspectives to be heard and honored. In the workplace, we foster an environment where all people can be their best selves. We affirm that every person [regardless of ability, age, cultural background, ethnicity, faith, gender, gender identity, gender expression, ideology, income, national origin, race or sexual orientation, marital or veteran status] has the opportunity to reach their full potential. We strive to realize the full potential that is within all of us by ensuring that all voices and perspectives are heard and honored.
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EXTERNAL RESOURCES
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Race Equity www.racialequitytools.org/ LGBTQ Equity www.hrc.org/resources Gender Parity genderatwork.org/resources/ www.equalitynow.org/ |
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Pay Equity www.pay-equity.org/ www.equalpaytoday.org/ Mental Health Awareness & Tools projectthrivect.com/resources/ |