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Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southern Maine (BBBSSM) was founded in 1995 as a nonprofit organization that provides mentorship to kids ages 7-17. Through one-on-one mentoring, BBBSSM has changed the lives of many kids and their families. “BBBSSM is a great organization, and I am a huge fan of their work in the community,” says Amberlynn Esperanza, Mascoma Bank Assistant Vice President Commercial Lending Development Officer, who volunteers with BBBSSM often.
BBBSSM’s mission is to create and support one-on-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth. This nonprofit has succeeded with 282 youth served in Cumberland and York counties in 2024. The vision at BBBSSM is for all youth to achieve their potential and these motivated individuals accomplish their goals and more.
BBBSSM offers two different forms of mentor programs. The first is the school-and site-based program where youth are matched with an adult or high school student; they meet one day a week while school is in session. Their activities consist of things like homework, lunches together, crafts, and spending time outdoors. The second program BBBSSM offers is community based, where an adult is matched with a kid and participates in various community activities.
How are the matches made? The process is based on factors such as proximity, what they have in common, and the goals of both the parents and youth. BBBSSM puts emphasis on youth voice—their primary focus is helping kids accomplish what they want for themselves.
The impact of a Big can be life changing. Miranda Hardy, Program Director at BBBSSM, remembered an eighth grader who faced some serious challenges and had even been placed in juvenile detention. Hardy said, “This Little had an incredible parent and Big in her corner who were advocating for her to access the right resources. Since then, this kiddo has graduated from middle school, gotten her first job, joined the softball team, and wants to move schools for high school to avoid falling back into these patterns. The Little mentioned how her Big helped her and said, ‘She never didn’t tell me like it was, she didn’t talk to me like a kid.’ I had never seen someone, in a year and a half, turn around like this kid did. Her Mom and her Big helped a lot.” The Little says she has plans with her Big to ride a lot of roller coasters this summer to celebrate the progress they have made, progress that not only left a tremendous impact on the Little’s life, but has also been extremely rewarding for the Big, who worked so hard to help her achieve this goal.
Mascoma Bank supports Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southern Maine through several partnerships. Andrew Cook, Mascoma Bank Senior Vice President and Maine Market Leader, serves as board treasurer for BBBSSM. Eileen Veroneau Brown, Director of Development and Communications at BBBSSM, said, “Andrew and Amberlynn Esperanza attend many of our various events and programs. We have found that when a business with a reputation for community impact such as Mascoma’s believes in an organization, other businesses tend to follow in those footsteps. The respect that others have for Mascoma shows.”
Mascoma Bank wishes Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southern Maine further success in the team’s mentorships and is proud to support the vision that all youth achieve their full potential.