Latest news with #BBBS
Los Angeles Times
23-05-2025
- Business
- Los Angeles Times
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County goes big with a new mural
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County & Inland Empire unveiled a new mural outside its Edinger Avenue building in Santa Ana on Tuesday. The new billboard-sized artwork is meant to catch the eye of the more than 100,000 drivers motoring past the organization's building each day. Sloane Keane, chief executive officer at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County & Inland Empire, hopes the work will not only touch the young people the organization serves, but also highlight the life-changing impact mentorship can have and inspire people to volunteer. 'We wanted this mural to be two things: a piece of art and also a call to action to the community,' Keane said to the crowd at the mural unveiling ceremony. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County & Inland Empire is a mentorship program serving at-risk youth, especially those from low-income households who are in need of positive role models. The organization works to match young boys and girls with a mentor through multiple professionally-supported programs the nonprofit offers. According to BBBS, nearly 65% of the population they serve live below the poverty line and low-income youth are nearly 10 times more likely to drop out of school. By partnering youth (or 'Littles') with a positive role model who provides a mentoring relationship (a 'Big'), BBBS increases the chance of a successful academic career for the child. 'Littles' who participate in Big Brothers Big Sisters have a 98% success rate of graduating from high school and almost 67% go on to be the first to graduate from college in their family. For the mural, the organization tapped local artist, Carla Roque. 'I love to create murals that bring a little bit of joy to the communities that they are created in,' Roque said. Against the BBBS logo, a Latino child, or a 'Little,' wearing glasses looks up at his 'Big' mentor, whose face isn't visible to the viewer. Viewers can infer from the wide smile and shining eyes of the youngster that he feels the adult is someone he can look up to and admire. Yellow rays emphasize the boy's line of vision toward his mentor and more details around the man's hand on the boy's shoulder demonstrate the powerful connection between the two of them. 'It takes little to be BIG,' the mural reads. Roque said she worked hard to include culturally specific features that would help members of the community feel represented in the work. 'We were really looking to make sure the community saw themselves in the mural, that was something that fit within this space of who they are, especially calling out male mentors for young Hispanic males. There is a huge need for that in this area,' said Roque. 'The little things like the gold chain were details that people in the community would notice and feel seen.' The Fullerton-based artist has been working in the community for 25 years, primarily creating murals. For this recent work she employed the help of seven pairs of 'Bigs' and 'Littles,' giving mentors and mentees the opportunity to take part in the creative process. Keane said it was also important for the organization to show two males in the mural. 'This is a reminder to the community to get involved, particularly men. We are looking for men,' said Keane. 'We have over 100 little boys today waiting for a positive male role model to be introduced into their life.' Keane said the two words on the bottom of the mural, 'Volunteer' and 'Donate,' are meant to inspire action. 'Those are the two most important resources this organization needs. Everybody needs funding but in equal measure we need volunteers to walk through the door and stand up and mentor,' said Keane. For donation and volunteer opportunities with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County & Inland Empire visit
Fashion Value Chain
20-05-2025
- Business
- Fashion Value Chain
Big Bang Boom Solutions Accelerates Deployment of the Indigenous Vajra Sentinel System to the Indian Air Force in Response to Operation Sindoor
Big Bang Boom Solutions (BBBS) announced the successful delivery of the first lot of its Vajra Sentinel Systems, a next-generation counter-unmanned aerial system (C-UAS), to the Indian Air Force – marking a key technological milestone in response to Operation Sindoor. Vajra Sentinel Systems Designed to address the dynamic aerial threat environment, the Vajra Sentinel has demonstrated superior performance when compared to both domestic and global counterparts. Developed entirely in India with over five years of intensive R&D, field trials, and carrying the prestigious DGAQA clearance, the system has successfully qualified user acceptance tests on the first attempt, a feat which eludes even the most seasoned defence enterprises. Vajra Sentinel Systems Asked to respond to significant drone threats during Operation Sindoor, the young team at BBBS were able to accelerate and rapidly deliver systems to support the Indian Army and Airforce. During heightened tensions at the border, BBBS' Vajra systems exceeded expectations by neutralizing multiple foreign-origin drones demonstrating its operational reliability and strategic value. Dr. R. Shivaraman, CTO of BBBS, 'It's a proud moment for us at BBBS to have contributed to national defence. Developed under the Ministry of Defence's iDEX Challenge, the Vajra Sentinel System represents a major step forward in India's journey toward defence self-reliance. Having control over the core technologies like this not only reduces dependence on imports but also offer greater adaptability and lifecycle control tailored to Indian needs. We are now taking the learnings from Operation Sindoor and are using them to design and build our next gen CUAS systems,' he further added. Praveen Dwarakanath, CEO of BBBS, 'This milestone is more than a product delivery – it is a testament to India's growing capability to develop and deploy state-of-the-art defence systems without foreign dependence. By investing in indigenous solutions like the Vajra Sentinel, India significantly reduces its reliance on imported technologies, which are often expensive, difficult to customize, and restricted by geopolitical constraints.' Big Bang Boom Solutions had secured an order worth over â¹200 crore in 2024 from the Indian Air Force and Indian Army. Homegrown technologies enable faster adaptation to local conditions, greater control over upgrades and support, and a secure technological edge in an evolving threat environment. As India strengthens its position as a global defence innovator, such breakthroughs reinforce strategic autonomy, reduce supply chain vulnerabilities, and support the Atmanirbhar Bharat mission. To ensure seamless delivery, Big Bang Boom's has setup its advanced manufacturing facility in Chennai which is now fully operational, with a capacity to produce over 100 systems per month. Operating in dual shifts, the facility is equipped to meet both domestic and international defence demands with speed and precision. BBBS remains committed to delivering world-class defence innovations powered by Indian ingenuity – aligned with national security goals and designed to empower the armed forces of the future. ABOUT Big Bang Boom Solutions (BBBS) Big Bang Boom Solutions is Indias fastest growing Startup in the Defence Sector. Founded by Dr. Shiva and Praveen Dwarakanath, serial entrepreneurs in Deep Tech, it aims to co-create intellectual property that can be used by Indian Armed forces to counter asymmetric emerging threats. The founders have a great network in the research space which helps them develop technology faster and more frugally that by anyone else. In addition to anti drone system, the company has won Multiple iDex challenges announced by the Ministry of Defence and has successfully completed 3 of them in diverse fields including electronic warfare, artificial intelligence and nanotechnology. The company has also managed to setup channels for sales to friendly foreign nations with the help of the Export Promotion Cell, DDP, MOD.
Global News
08-05-2025
- Health
- Global News
Big Brothers Big Sisters to expand programs to increase mentorship
Big Brothers Big Sisters Centre Wellington is expanding its mentorship programs. The agency received more than $465,000 from the Ontario Trillium Foundation's Grow Grant to expand the programs over a three-year period. Though the expansion, Anneli Segura, the executive director of BBBS, said the agency is looking to create 25 to 30 new mentor-mentee matches each year. 'What's really important to us is that young people that are paired with mentors develop meaningful relationships with caring adults, and that they have some job readiness and academic support as they become young adults,' Segura said. Among the new features of the new and enhanced programs will be job shadowing and career planning to boost job readiness, mindfulness through nature sessions to support mental wellness, and nutrition and cooking classes to address food security. Story continues below advertisement The expansion will also help Big Brothers Big Sisters try to recruit more volunteers through different programs and initiatives, particularly male volunteers. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Segura said there has been quite a shortage of male volunteers since the COVID-19 pandemic. BBBS recently changed its Bigs and Blue initiative to the 1st Responder Empowerment Program. The program initially offered opportunities for mentorship of an OPP officer, but Segura said it has since expanded to include other first responders, such as firefighters and paramedics. Segura said they want children to have these opportunities to explore all kinds of different things about themselves. 'Kids, and we know as humans, we don't all come in one box, we don't all like the same things,' she said. The activities that youth participate in not only develop skills for future job opportunities but also allow them to simply be a kid. She said the exposure to these new and different types of activities can pique a young person's interest in pursuing that interest as they navigate through their young adulthood. Segura said the agency is really important to the community's future. 'This is our future residents and our future workforce. Hopefully, these kids will grow up and maybe study somewhere away at school but maybe come back to this area to raise their families,' she said. Story continues below advertisement The agency is hoping to get the program 'off the ground' in the next couple of weeks.
Calgary Herald
29-04-2025
- Business
- Calgary Herald
Calgary changemaker Ken Lima-Coelho: Leading the charge for Big Brother Big Sisters
Ken Lima-Coelho has a powerful voice and he knows how to use it — whether it's through his work as president and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) of Calgary and Area, volunteering at the Calgary Foundation or singing in the four-man a cappella group, the Heebee-jeebees. Article content Article content Through his diverse career — from media and museum work to recreation, non-profits and mentorship — his focus has always been on 'community building, and connecting people and trying to do social good,' Lima-Coelho said. Article content Article content 'Those have been the hallmarks of my time.' Article content Article content He was the recipient of the City of Calgary's Community Advocate award for an individual in 2019, and the Queen Elizabeth 2 Platinum Jubilee Medal in 2022. Using his voice to ask questions and to connect people has been key to his success, whether it's in his professional life or his volunteer work — even on social media. Article content 'I have this silly little experiment that I've been doing — it's called the daily distraction,' he said. Every day on Facebook, he asks a question. Sometimes it's lighthearted, ('Tell me about your slippers'), and sometimes more profound ('How are you really doing today?'). Article content 'I started it on March 16, 2020, when we were all locked in our houses,' during the COVID-19 pandemic, he said. 'I thought, well, I don't know how long we're going to be in here, so how are we going to create some community?' Article content Article content Five years later, the daily distraction is still going strong — and, despite differences of opinion, it's brought people together. Article content 'We've created this little community,' Lima-Coelho said. 'It's safe. Nobody's attacking each other.' Article content Brianne Oliver, chair of the BBBS national board of directors, says Lima-Coelho has become well known in the city through his myriad endeavours. Article content 'Ken is somebody everybody in Calgary seems to know. He's our Kevin Bacon,' said Oliver. 'He creates authentic relationships across such a wide range of the Calgary community . . . People really feel connected to Ken.'
American Press
24-04-2025
- General
- American Press
Being a 'Big' means becoming a pillar in a child's life
Travis Thomas accepts the 'Big Brother of the Year' award with his Little, Elijah. The pair are pictured with Big Brothers Big Sisters Southwest Louisiana Chief Executive Officer Jillian Cormier. (Special to the American Press) April is National Volunteer Month, and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Louisiana is celebrating by highlighting the Bigs who keep their mission alive. BBBS SWLA facilitates matches between Bigs (volunteers) and Littles, and provides programming for at-risk youth in Allen, Beauregard , Calcasieu, Cameron, Jeff Davis and Vernon Parishes, serving over 400 youth across 20 schools. Over 2,500 BBBS-SWLA volunteer hours have been recorded this year. Throughout the month, BBBS is highlighting the stories of Bigs in the region. Julia Tassin, marketing and development manager, BBBS, said that at the heart of everything at BBBS is the belief that each child has 'incredible potential.' BBBS puts supporters in the corner of kids who are in need. The supportive one-on-one relationships between Bigs and Littles 'ignite' the potential in children and help them build confidence, she said. Travis Thomas, who was honored as 'Big of the Year' in 2023, is one of the 120 Bigs in Southwest Louisiana. He began volunteering two years ago. He was inspired to become a Big while he was volunteering at BBBS's Summer Academy – a youth summer mentoring program. 'I created a bond with one of the kids there after asking if he wanted to play Uno. We built a relationship from there,' he recalled. When becoming a Big, his intention was to 'give, not gain' by committing to bring is time, energy and talents to the mentorship program. For Thomas, the act of sacrifice for the greater good is the meaning of volunteerism. The moments that have stood out to him range from helping his Little gain independence by having him order his own food, to seeing his little learn to manage his anger. In return, Thomas has learned better time management and to become more intentional with actions The Bigs are the 'heartbeat' of BBBS, and are trained not to be perfect, but to be present, Tassin said.. 'They show up consistently, build trust, and form meaningful connections with the Littles,' she explained. 'Whether it's grabbing a snow cone on a sunny day, helping with homework or just being a listening ear, the time they invest makes a lasting impact.' There are still 84 littles who need to be paired with a Big. Tassin said volunteers don't need any special skills or a structured schedule to be a Big, they just need two spare hours a month. 'You just need to be willing to show up and be consistent. The impact you can make by simply being there for a child is huge,' she said. 'And for anyone who's even slightly considering it – this could be the start of something life-changing, for you and for a Little.' Thomas said deciding to become a Big is more than just a decision to volunteer, its a choice to become a pillar in a child's life. 'You are actively mentoring the future generation. You are building, shaping, and pouring into the next generation of doctors, lawyers and governors.' Those interested in volunteering with BBBS-SWLA can apply online at
