Big Brothers Big Sisters of Lanark County struggling to recover from pandemic

Just before Christmas, Ottawa server Nancy Skokos, 46,was waiting tables whenan older woman recognized her as the girl she'd mentored more than 30 years earlier.

"I literally went, 'Eileen?' and she went, 'Nancy?'" said Skokos. "It was very heartwarming. Memories flooded back and it was almost like no time had passed."

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Lanark County paired Skokos then anadolescent daughter of a singleworking mom with volunteer Eileen Whitmoreback in the mid-1990s.

When Whitmore and her husband realized they couldn't have children, they had both began volunteering with the organization in the county west of Ottawa.

Whitmore would haveSkokos over for dinner, play Super Mario Bros. together and go on day trips.

These pairings, oncethe cornerstone ofthe 50-year-old organization, are now just a small piece of itswork.

It nowincludes after-school programs across the region, running a youth centre that offers hot mealsand providing kids accessto social workers.

Organization facing financial struggles

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Lanark County is struggling financially, said executive directorJennifer Miller.

Before the pandemic, the organizationserved 800 young people with a staff of 18.Today that number is down to 400 clients and sixpermanent employees, said Miller.

"We just tell the families we're doing the best we can and if there's another agency we can refer them for additional support, we do that," she said.

The revenue from fundraising, municipal grantsand the organization's two thrift storesmake up its$500,000 annual budget. The organization is currently running its annual bowling fundraiser, which accounts for 20 per cent of its budget.

During the pandemic, some of that revenue dried up.

"The economy was not working at full capacity and so donations were limited," Miller said.

Plus, the thrift stores were shutfor weeks at a timethanks to lockdowns. The organization has been working to build its coffers back up eversince, she said.

"We don't get any reliable government funding,"Miller said, explaining thatthey start from scratch every January."We need sustainable dollars or we won't be here for another 50 years."

It's why stories like the reunion of Skokosand Whitmoreare so important for Miller.

"It's a wonderful story because it goes back so far," she said. "We don't hear those stories every day but we do hear stories every day [about] the impact our volunteers have on the kids, and that's pretty powerful stuff.

"That's what keeps you going on Jan.1when you're starting at zero,that you know the work that you're doing is so powerful."