07/10/2026
This small grassroots organization hit the ground running and operated at full speed for five straight years. Throughout that journey, our leaders carried the day to day operations on their backs, often while navigating their own personal challenges. Yet, NO matter what life looked like behind the scenes, BIG continued to SHOW UP for the YOUTH in our community.
�What many people don't see is that the needs of the youth we serve DON’T STOP when programming ends. No one talks about late night phone calls, when our youth are going through and simply need someone to listen. No one talks about the sporting events, school functions, and family moments our leaders have missed because they were answering the call for someone else's child❤️ That's the reality of this work, and we've always accepted it because we believe our youth are worth it👑
People also don't always see the barriers we've had to break through. BIG has worked tirelessly to ensure the youth we serve have a seat at tables where they haven't always been welcomed. We've created opportunities for them to see themselves represented in spaces where their creativity, talents, and dreams can flourish🤎
But yet while doing this work, BIG has also had to constantly navigate obstacles placed in our path. Too often, some of the very movers and shakers in our community, people and systems with the influence to open doors, have instead created barriers that we've had to work around or push through.
Rather than allowing those obstacles to stop us, we've stayed focused on our mission. We've chosen to keep showing up for our youth BOOTHS ON THE GROUND LITERALLY 24-7 because our youth deserve advocates who refuse to quit. People tend to forget BIG mentors too and everything
But when you've been running at full speed for years while carrying the weight of an organization and continuously navigating challenges behind the scenes, there comes a time to pause. Not because you're giving up, but because you're preparing for what's next. We may have taken a break from the stage but our mentorship hasn’t stop.
So, let's put the rumors to rest!
This season has been about reflecting, recharging, and allowing God to do what only He can do behind closed doors. Sometimes growth doesn't happen on the stage it happens in the quiet…
