SouthCoast Manager for Big Brothers Big Sisters Plans for Success

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Massachusetts is celebrating 75 years of service to children and families. The renowned nonprofit has a new regional manager to work in our area.

Rebecca Kerner will oversee the SouthCoast region and Brockton, recruiting volunteers and young people, supporting mentoring matches, and building community partnerships. Kerner visited Townsquare Sunday this week to talk about her new job and what she hopes to achieve.

"I love to be a connector," Kerner said. "I really see the value in finding something that people like to do and connect them to something else. Big Brothers Big Sisters is an organization working to empower the next generation, to find that potential and support that."

Kerner said the SouthCoast currently has more than 60 Big Brother Big Sister matches, while the city of Brockton has 34. There is a waiting list of 52 children, or "littles," waiting for mentors on the SouthCoast, and 32 youngsters in Brockton remaining on the wait list.

Kerner is looking for mentors, or "bigs," in a variety of ways. She has joined the local chamber of commerce and is visiting local businesses to hopefully form partnerships.

"I'm looking for people who are interested, people who are curious about it," she said. "I'm hoping to network with local businesses that have a diverse population of folks who could potentially take the next step."

The organization asks for a commitment from their "bigs" with two to three outings per month.

"Those outings could be anything you and your 'little' decide: going to the park, visiting a museum, playing UNO or shooting some hoops," Kerner said.

Big Brothers Big Sisters also offers a match support person to check on how the match is going and meet with the parties involved.

To enroll you child or volunteer as a Big Brother or Big Sister, please visit emassbigs.org .

The complete interview with Rebecca Kerner can be heard here:

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