Big Brothers Big Sisters Independence

03/09/2022

Bundle and Save! Buy a pair of tickets and save $10 off the total purchase.

Join us for all-you-can-eat food tastings paired with Double Nickel Brewing Co. award winning craft beers... for a great cause, benefitting !

is back, baby!

flavorfest.givesmart.com

03/09/2022

Please join us in a BIG WELCOME to Patricia Brown, who joined our in January!

As the Executive Director, Corporate Strategy for Merck, Tricia is the commercial leader in healthcare with deep expertise in and ex*****on, , and . She is a true leader who successfully leads high priority strategic initiatives by influencing and aligning cross-functional leaders to quickly drive progress and achieve outcomes.

"I believe in the power of mentorship," Tricia told us. "It has enhanced my life, and I have enjoyed mentoring others throughout my career. During the pandemic, I sought out ways to contribute more, to new mentees and mentor programs. I am thrilled to join BBBS Independence. We have an incredible track record for helping children understand and achieve their potential, and our leadership team is amazing."

Tricia has Bachelor of Arts degrees and an from Villanova University and is a member of the Google Health Advisory Board. She is passionate about mentoring colleagues, students and youth.

03/08/2022

WHILE THE NFL IS DRAFTING THE NEXT GENERATION OF PLAYERS, WE’RE DRAFTING THE NEXT GENERATION OF .

Today, 1 in 3 kids in America are growing up without a . We’re teaming up with the NFL Initiative to empower more young people through .

Get off the sideline, and become a in your community today.

independencebigs.org/bigdraft

Support Big Brothers Big Sisters' mission to provide a caring adult mentor to every child that needs one.

03/08/2022

Happy and ! Let's give a BIG welcome to another powerful woman who joined our Governing Board of Directors in January!

Tivonnia (T.J.) Harvey is the AVP, US Vaccine Sales and Customer Engagement Organization at Merck, reporting to the Senior Vice President of US Vaccine Business Unit.

With more than 20 years of experience in the industry, T.J. brings extensive breadth and depth of experience in sales leadership managing a mix of products and business models across the , specialty, hospital and markets. She has been at the forefront of Merck’s adaptation to Social Learning and driving methodology in and .

T.J. has established strong relationships with Senior Learning Leaders across industries and has spoken at numerous events as Keynote Speaker and along Leader panels, on topics including , , and . Under her watch as CLO, T.J.’s organization has won multiple awards including Learning in Practice, Excellence in Partnership Award, International EHS Innovation Award and numerous Brandon Hall Excellence awards, to name a few.

T.J. is a former alumna of the Women’s Leadership Program, past recipient of the prestigious Presidents Award, Global Chair of the League of Employees of African Descent (LEAD), Executive Sponsor for the PA Rainbow Alliance EBRG and is the second recipient of the Merck Women’s Leadership Excellence Award.

03/07/2022

March is and we’re making our own history by adding some powerful to our Governing Board of Directors.

Please join us in A BIG WELCOME to Lisa Caldwell, who joined our Governing Board in January.

Lisa is known for her strategic insight and market acumen, as well as her commitment to and & .

Lisa Caldwell is the leader for the Janssen Global Commercial Strategy for the COVID-19 Vaccine. In this role she partners closely with the R&D organization, global stakeholders, and markets around the world to support helping to end the pandemic. In addition to the work on the COVID vaccine she is also playing a role in building out the new global commercialization strategy for the vaccines business.

Three areas of passion for Lisa are , , and . The common thread across these areas is helping young people meet and reach their full potential. Over the years Lisa has volunteered at Planned Parenthood and served as a and for young moms reentering high school. Currently, she tutors middle school students in reading and math.

Lisa graduated from Howard University Howard University with a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology and received a Master of Business Administration from Penn State University. She is a member of the Philadelphia Chapter of the Howard University Philadelphia Association.

Travel and photography and interior design are hobbies Lisa enjoys to recharge and fuel her creativity. Lisa works in NJ and lives in Blue Bell, PA.

03/01/2022

Celebrate women by creating space where their ideas and wellbeing can flourish. Support women by not only acknowledging their achievements in history, but also how they show up everyday for all of us.

03/01/2022

We’re excited to announce the relaunch of the School District of Philadelphia Virtual Gender Sexuality Alliance! All high school LGBTQ+ students and allies in Philadelphia are invited to attend on Zoom every Wednesday at the NEW time of 4:30 PM. This week, we’re kicking off the relaunch with games and giveaways. Hope to see you there!

Register here for the Zoom link: http://ow.ly/GUFj50I769n

03/01/2022

Posted • .zeff Tell me how this dude just turned 17 and is now taller than me. 2nd pic was one of our 1st hangs when he was 12 😭 So proud of this kid. Being a Big Brother in has been so incredibly rewarding. If you’ve been looking into giving back in your community, this is a beautiful way to do so plus there’s a massive waiting list for little brothers looking for a big. Please check them out! 🙏🏻♥️

02/28/2022

75% of the children waiting for a mentor in our program are Black male youth. As ends, we need new Big Brothers to inspire change and defend the potential of Black youth all year! NFL Inspire Change

Get Off the Sidelines! Apply Now and You Could Be Our Number One Mentoring Draft Pick: independencebigs.org/bigdraft

02/25/2022

The 2022 theme of is Black Health and Wellness. Last week, our CEO Marcus Allen appeared on a panel about this very topic and said, "We are so quick to put labels on our kids. And often times we can marginalize these kids and put them in a corner. My challenge to us is... there are young people who do have certain challenges and they need services and support. My biggest concern is let's not create bigger barriers than already exist. We need to listen to them."

Watch the recording here:

Black History Month - Mental and Spiritual Health