The Big Sister Association Helps Girls Reach Their Full Potenial

Judy Neufeld, Manager of Recruitment and Community Partnerships for Big Sister Association of Greater Boston, takes the proverb “It takes a village to Raise a Child” to heart. “When I go out and talk to women about becoming Big Sisters, I often say to them, ‘None of us in this room got here alone,’ ” she explains. “Whether we actually had a formal mentor or not, we all had mentors in our life who were there to push us, or were there to listen to us vent, or were there to help us make decisions about what to do next in our lives; we all had those teachers that made an impact on us in some way; there was always that someone or    
multiple people that have helped us get to where we are today—and that is what a Big Sister is. It’s part of a support system for girls.”

Having a support system outside of the home and classroom is important for today’s girls who confront issues ranging from self-harm and eating disorders to dating violence and cyber-bullying. Luckily for Boston’s girls, Big Sister Association of Greater Boston has been supporting girls in 69 cities and towns around Greater Boston through positive mentoring relationships for more than fifty years. “We’re the oldest and largest mentoring organization in New England that exclusively serves girls, and that makes us really unique,” says Neufeld.

If there is one person who embodies the passion and the commitment demonstrated by Big Sister Association in its mission to provide girls with a support system and help them reach their full potential through positive mentoring relationships, Neufeld is that person. Neufeld not only works for Big Sister Association of Greater Boston but also is a Big Sister herself. She participates in a weekly mentoring program known as TEAM (which stands for Team Enhanced Approach to Mentoring). “It’s a structured mentoring program that involves groups of Big and Little Sisters, and one of the social workers from our agency,” she explains. “Once a week for 90 minutes we get together and participate in discussions, role play, and activities around issues that the girls are facing.” To be able to work behind the scenes recruiting Big Sisters and then to see the girls every week and hear what’s on their minds, and hear them talk about how great it is to have Big Sisters, it certainly adds a different element to the work.”

Neufeld comes to Big Sister Association with a background in Gender Studies and Education. Although Neufeld had always been interested in the impact that educational environments had on girls’ development, it wasn’t until she piloted an all-girls after school gym program for girls in 2nd through 5th grade while a student at Tufts University that she realized she had found her calling. “Working with the girls in that program taught me that it is important for girls that age to have a space to flourish in,” she says. “After that experience, I knew I that I wanted to work with girls.”

Although teens under the age of 18 may not be able to become Big Sisters themselves, there are many ways that they can volunteer with Big Sister Association. “We always need administrative volunteers,” says Neufeld. “We host an Office Volunteer Night twice a month where we have people come and help with office projects that are a lot of fun to do when you’re in a social environment doing them.” Neufeld also believes that teens can serve as an important resource to the Big Sister Association and other Boston area non-profits through Internet and social media expertise.

Neufeld’s advice to a teen who is interested in volunteering with Big Sister Association or any non-profit is to not be afraid to contact an organization directly. “My advice is to just step outside your comfort zone and make a phone call or email the non-profit,” she says. “Be persistent and don’t give up. The worst thing that’s going to happen is that the non-profit is going to say no. However, most non-profits would be happy to host a teen or have a conversation with teenagers about what might interest them, and how they might work with the non-profit to help them further their mission.” Girls younger than fifteen can also be matched with a Big Sister and experience the positive effects of having a supportive female mentor in their lives.
 
Although Big Sister Association matches thousands of positive female mentors with Little Sisters every year, the most challenging part about working for Big Sister Association for Neufeld is that her work is really never done. “There are always more girls who want Big Sisters,” she says.

*If you are a registered member of our online community and interested in volunteering with Big Sister Association, check out their TeenLife Boston profile here. Additionally, you can learn more about Big Sister’s Office Volunteer Night highlighted in our Volunteer Center by clicking here.


Pictured Above: Big Sister Jeannette Rivera (left), who has been matched with her Little Sister Jaydah (right) for nearly five years