Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwestern Illinois

10/29/2026

🎄❤️ WE’RE SO CLOSE! HELP US MAKE CHRISTMAS MAGICAL FOR EVERY CHILD! ❤️🎄

Our community is showing up in a BIG way, and we are so grateful! 🥹 Thanks to your generosity, 78 children are already covered through our Adopt a Family program! THANK YOU to everyone who has adopted a kiddo or made a monetary donation!

But we still need YOUR help! 🎁

This year, 116 children have signed up for holiday assistance, and 38 kiddos are still waiting for someone to make their Christmas a little brighter. We would LOVE to find a sponsor for every single child! ❤️

🎁 HERE’S HOW YOU CAN HELP:
✨ Adopt a child (or more!) and shop for their holiday wish list.
✨ Team up with family, friends, coworkers, your church, or a civic group!
✨ Make a monetary donation to help us shop for children who still need a sponsor.

A few things to know:
🎄 We ask that a minimum of $100 be spent per child.
🎄 All gifts must be newly purchased and unused.
🎄 You’ll receive a family profile and wish list to guide your shopping.
🎄 Not a fan of wrapping presents? No problem! We have a generous donor who has offered to wrap gifts for those who would love to shop but would rather skip the wrapping! 🙌

❤️ READY TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

🎁 Adopt a child or family: Complete our adoption form here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScLj9gEomK06_5faDhyAgPP8_Oo6eXVityMnRgMjmx6Tb13aA/viewform?usp=send_form

💝 Make a monetary donation: Donate online here: https://bbbsil.bbbssecure.org/page/145013/donate/1?locale=en-US
and select “Adopt a Family this Holiday Season” under Additional Information.

Have questions? Contact Brianna Anderson at [email protected] or call/text (618) 239-4075.

Every child deserves to feel remembered, celebrated, and loved during the holidays. We are SO close to making that happen for all 116 children, and we know our incredible community can help us get there! ❤️

Let’s make sure every kiddo knows just how much they matter this Christmas. 🎄✨

Help us spread the word! Share this post and tag someone who might want to get involved! ❤️

As the holiday season fast approaches, we at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwestern Illinois are excited to share a wonderful opportunity for our enrolled Littles and their families -- and we need your help! Each year, we proudly host our Adopt a Family program, which allows our matched and waitin...

10/28/2026

✨🌟 YOU’RE INVITED! A NIGHT AMONG THE STARS! 🌟✨

Get ready to walk the red carpet! 🎬❤️ Join Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwestern Illinois for our 2026 Big Impact Gala on Friday, November 13, at the Regency Conference Center in O’Fallon!

We’re rolling out the red carpet for an unforgettable evening celebrating the power of mentoring and the incredible potential of local youth! 💫

🌟 Here’s what’s in store:
🥂 Raffles, silent auction & mingling
🍽️ A delicious three-course dinner
🎤 Live entertainment featuring Steve Shininger
⭐ Surprise performances showcasing the talent of local youth
🎶 Live music & dancing!

🏆 We’ll also be honoring Bruce Holland with our 2026 Lifetime Impact Award, celebrating more than 30 years of dedication to helping young people reach their full potential!

📅 Friday, November 13, 2026
📍 Regency Conference Center | O’Fallon, IL
🕕 Doors open at 6:00 PM
🎟️ Tickets: $150 per person | Table of 8: $1,200

Every ticket and sponsorship helps us continue connecting young people with caring mentors and creating brighter futures. With local youth waiting for a Big, your support can make a BIG impact! 💙

🎟️ Ready to join us? Reserve your seats or learn about sponsorship opportunities here:
👉 https://bbbsil.org/bbbsil-events/bigimpactgala/

We can’t wait to celebrate with you! ✨

10/16/2026

🎁 Help make the holidays a little brighter for a local child through Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwestern Illinois! 💚

Our Adopt a Family program brings caring community members together with families in our program to help make sure children have gifts to open during the holiday season. Last year, 160 local children received holiday gifts through this program, and we’re expecting a larger need this season.

Interested in helping?

✨ Sign up to shop for the number of children you choose
🎁 Receive wish lists in November
🛍️ Shop for and wrap the gifts
💚 Bring your gifts to our office by December 10, and we’ll take care of the rest!

Ready to participate? Sign up by October 31! ⬇️
https://forms.gle/RtsLLfDnsLBWJQRW8

Not able to shop? You can still make a difference by donating (we'll shop for gifts on your behalf!) or sharing this post with someone who might want to participate!

💚 Donate: https://bbbsil.bbbssecure.org/page/145013/donate/1
* Amazon gift cards are also welcome and accepted!

10/14/2026

💚 MAKE A DIFFERENCE THIS HOLIDAY SEASON WITH BBBS! 🎁

The holidays are right around the corner, and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwestern Illinois is preparing for another year of our Adopt a Family program!

Last year, thanks to our amazing community, 160+ local children received holiday gifts through this program. With more children and families to support, we’re inviting our community to help make this holiday season special for the youth in our program.

Here’s how you can participate:

🎁 Sign up to adopt and shop
📝 Receive wish lists in November
🛍️ Shop for and wrap your gifts
📦 Drop off your gifts at our office by December 10, and we’ll handle the rest!

📅 The deadline to sign up is October 31!

⬇️ Sign up to adopt:
https://forms.gle/RtsLLfDnsLBWJQRW8

Not able to adopt this year? You can still be part of the impact! 💚 Make a donation to help support the program, or share this post to spread the word and help us reach more generous community members.

💚 Donate here: https://bbbsil.bbbssecure.org/page/145013/donate/1

Thank you for being part of a community that shows up for local children and families!

10/08/2026

🎁 Help make the holidays special for local children! 💚

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwestern Illinois is looking for community members to participate in our Adopt a Family program this holiday season!

Last year, generous supporters helped provide holiday gifts for 160+ local children in our program. As our program continues to grow, community support is more important than ever in helping make the holidays brighter for the children and families we serve.

Here’s how you can help:

✨ Choose how many children you’d like to shop for
🎁 Receive wish lists in November
🛍️ Shop for and wrap the gifts
💚 Drop off your gifts at our office by December 10, and we’ll take care of the rest!

📅 Sign up by October 31!

👉 Adopt a Family: https://forms.gle/RtsLLfDnsLBWJQRW8

Not able to adopt this year? You can still make a difference! Consider making a donation or sharing this post to help us reach others who may want to get involved. Every share helps spread the word! 💚

Donate here: https://bbbsil.bbbssecure.org/page/145013/donate/1

Thank you for helping us bring a little extra holiday cheer to children in our community!

10/02/2026

💚🎉 NEW MATCH ALERT 🎉💚

Introducing our newest match, Bigs Derek & Nancy and Little Christian!

These three are already looking forward to plenty of fun and active time together! Basketball is on the list, along with some time in the water as Derek gets to share his knowledge and experience with scuba diving. 🏀🌊

Christian also had plenty of ideas for things they could do together, giving this match lots of fun adventures to look forward to!

We’re excited to see all the new experiences, activities, and memories Derek, Nancy, and Christian make together! 💚✨

10/02/2026

💚 A little generosity can go a long way this holiday season!

Through Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwestern Illinois’ Adopt a Family program, community members have the opportunity to shop for children in our program and help make their holiday a little more special. 🎁

Last year, over 160 local children received gifts through the program, thanks to generous people in our community. We’re looking forward to making it happen again this year!

Want to be part of it?

✨ Sign up by October 31
🎁 Choose how many children you’d like to shop for
📝 Receive their wish lists in November
🛍️ Shop, wrap, and bring your gifts to our office by December 10

It’s a simple way to give back and make a difference for a local child. 💚

👉 Sign up here:
https://forms.gle/RtsLLfDnsLBWJQRW8

Can’t participate this year? Sharing this post or making a donation is another great way to help!

💚 Donate: https://bbbsil.bbbssecure.org/page/145013/donate/1

10/01/2026

✈️💚 Our Bigs and Littles got to take their friendship to new heights!

We’re so grateful to Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 864 in East Alton who welcomed some of our matches for a special day at the airport through the Young Eagles Program. Our Littles had the opportunity to experience a flight, make some memories, and enjoy something a little outside the ordinary with their Bigs!

Seeing our matches laugh, explore, and experience something new together is exactly what mentoring is all about. 💚

A huge thank-you to EAA and everyone who made this experience possible and opened up the skies for our Littles! We’re so grateful for the time, generosity, and hospitality you shared with our matches. ✈️

We had some very happy Littles (and Bigs!) after this one! 😊

09/24/2026

Adopt a Family this holiday season with BBBS! 🎁💚

Each year, generous community members help make the holidays brighter for families in our program here at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwestern Illinois. Last year, 160 local children received holiday gifts through our Adopt a Family program — and we’re getting ready for another big year!

Here’s how it works:
✨ Choose how many children you’d like to shop for
🎁 We provide wish lists in November
🛍️ You shop & wrap
💚 You drop your gifts off at our office by December 10 and we take care of the rest!

Want to adopt? Sign up by October 31! ⬇️
https://forms.gle/RtsLLfDnsLBWJQRW8

Not able to adopt a family? You can still help by making a donation or sharing this post!

💚 Donate: https://bbbsil.bbbssecure.org/page/145013/donate/1