Home & Family
Big Brothers Big Sisters of SWLA Celebrates 45 Years of Service by Kerry Andersen
As Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Louisiana CEO Erin Davison looks back on the organization’s 45 years of mentoring youth in the region, she can’t help but feel a bit reflective about how much the agency has grown in more than four decades of service. What is now the region’s largest donor and volunteer supported mentoring network has come a long way since those humble early days in 1979 as a sponsored program of Family & Youth. Then in 1984 it became established as an independent agency with one driving core belief – inherent in every child is the ability to succeed and thrive in life. Davison took the helm in 2017 of what was at the time a small organization with a shrinking footprint. It wasn’t long before she faced what she terms ‘the apocalypse’ – the pandemic plus a series of natural weather events that challenged her leadership in ways she never anticipated. Against daunting odds, she found creative ways to financially sustain mentoring programs, introduce innovative technology for enrollment and mentoring practices, implement efficiencies with BBBS service and delivery, and create MentorU, an innovative curriculumbased group mentoring and 1–1 program in Calcasieu Parish. “We’ve overcome great challenges since 2020 but through it all we remained laser focused on the knowledge that our youth who participate in mentoring programs achieve proven positive outcomes including better grades, higher
2022 Board of the Year for Small/Mid Affiliates
68
Thrive Magazine for Better Living • February 2024
graduation rates, and an increased belief that they can say no to drugs, violence, and skipping school,” says Davison. In 2022, a surprise phone call led to a transformative $1.1 million donation from the MacKenzie Scott Foundation. Davison used the billionaire philanthropist’s unexpected donation to seed an endowment she named the Big Defender Fund, an initiative she highlights as one of her proudest achievements as CEO. “The uncertainty of the last few years highlighted the need to diversify our funding and create sustainability,” said Davison. She adds, “The Big Defender Fund provides that mechanism. Using the funds to future-proof our organization from disruptive natural disasters and other prospective threats to our youth mentoring programs was at the top of my priority list from day one.” The nonprofit has marked notable growth and achievement since inception 45 years ago including: • Supporting more than 9,000 youth with over 216,000 hours of mentoring. • Grew staff from five to seventeen employees including Lake Charles and DeRidder satellite office. • Expanded programming into seven parishes. • Named 2022 Board of the Year for Small/Mid Affiliates by Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. • Diversified and strengthened the agency’s financial portfolio. • Launched Bigs with Badges in partnership with the DeRidder Police Department and Beauregard Parish Sheriff’s Office. • Named 2023 Nonprofit of the Year by Fusion Five. • Launched Operation Big in partnership with Fort Johnson/JRTC in Vernon Parish.
As Davison looks ahead to the next 45 years of working to help area youth achieve their full potential, she is filled with gratitude for the companies, donors, volunteers, employees, board members, and other community stakeholders who have given their time, talent, and dollars to support the programs that have a direct and lasting positive effect on the lives of young people in Southwest Louisiana. While large corporate donations are critical to funding mentoring programs, Davison is always quick to note that no donation of time or dollars is too small.
2023 BLOTY Big Angi Little Jenna
“Every year I receive a handwritten card from an anonymous young donor with a $5 bill tucked inside and it tugs at my heartstrings like nothing else.” She adds, “Although the donation is small in size, it is a huge driving force in reminding our team that youth remain at the core of our mission and I want the person who sends it to know how much it means to us.” In January, BBBSSWLA held its annual Big Defender Luncheon to recognize donors and volunteers and announced they are renaming the Big Brother of the Year award after Ben Terry, KPLC’s beloved meteorologist who lost his battle with cancer last year. Ben was a Big Brother volunteer and an enthusiastic supporter of the organization.