OTTAWA’S LONGEST-STANDING CHILDREN’S CHARITIES

Since 1970, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ottawa has been creating life-changing connections for youth facing adversity with safe, caring adult mentors who help guide and support them.

By changing the course of young lives, we know that we can change the course of a community’s future. Mentors in our programs are role models who teach by example. The importance of giving, giving back, education, respecting peers, and building healthy relationships are all taught through these life-changing connections.

The transformation of a mentee into a confident, motivated, and empowered young person is truly amazing. Our staff, volunteers and supporters take incredible pride in not only the role they play, but in how these young people step into their own.

As a national organization, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada is the country’s leading child and youth mentoring charity. For one hundred years, Big Brothers Big Sisters has used mentoring programs to make a positive difference in the lives of our nation’s youth.

Our Foundation

Our Vision

To ensure that all young people realize their full potential.

Our Mission

To enable life-changing mentoring relationships that ignite the power and potential of young people.

Land Acknowledgement

We acknowledge that we live and work on the traditional, unceded, unsurrendered territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation.

Acknowledging territory is only the beginning of cultivating meaningful and reciprocal relationships with First Nations, Inuit and Metis peoples.

There is a lot of work to be done for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada. BBBSO is committed to ongoing learning and work to action changes.

Our Name

We recognize the importance of language, and the impact of inclusivity and identity erasure. We acknowledge how our organizational name re-enforces the gender binary and fails to honor Trans, non-binary and gender diverse identities. We welcome Mentors and Mentees who are 2SLGBTQIA+

Our Commitment

At Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ottawa, our commitment to diversity is our promise to each other, and the communities we serve as a proud member of the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada family. We strive to reach out to and welcome every child, mentor, volunteer, and staff person so that we can support, strengthen, benefit from, and contribute to the richness and complexity that is Canada.

We are committed to being an inclusive group where differences are valued and respected in everything that we do. By always staying true to these principles, we enrich ourselves and the lives of those we are dedicated to serving.