CUNA MUTUAL GROUP SUPPORTS BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS OF NORTHEAST IOWA

$1,040 donation through NFL Ticket Sales 

Waverly, Iowa, 11/17/2009 — The Minnesota Vikings offered discounted tickets to CUNA Mutual Group employees, their families, and their friends. CUNA Mutual Group, a leading financial services provider to credit unions, their members and valued customers worldwide, has been committed to the market since their founding in 1935. For each ticket sold, CUNA Mutual Group made a $10 donation to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Iowa. 

104 tickets were sold, making the donation from CUNA Mutual Group to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Iowa reach $1040! Big Brothers Big Sisters thanks CUNA Mutual Group for their support and interest in helping local children.

Big Brothers Big Sisters is a volunteer pro­gram that pairs an adult (“Big”) with a child (“Little”). It is about forming one-to-one friendships, but is made up of a community of caring, giving people hundreds of thousands strong, changing what it means for children to grow up in America.

The need for more Big Brothers or Sisters is great. If you are interested in becoming a Big Brother or Sister please contact Melinda Pitt at (319) 352-2813 in Waverly or in Waterloo call 319-235-9397.

January was National Mentoring Month!

Flood Devastation Brings Match Together

The floods of 2008 washed away many Northeast Iowans valuables, homes and futures. But, somewhere in the mess and destruction lied hope for a better tomorrow. For a Big Brothers Big Sisters match in Waverly, hope had arrived sometime after the devastation of the flood. Little Sister Chelsey and her family were flooded out of their rental home. In June, Chelsey was to be matched with a Big Sister, but she was unable to be located due to the flood.

In a difficult time for Chelsey, her family, and many others in Northeast Iowa, one month after the storm, Chelsey met her Big Sister Shari. Shari helped pick up the pieces of Chelsey`s childhood that the storm washed away. Shari gave Chelsey the opportunity to get out and find fun again after all of the trauma.

From the very first meeting, this pair clicked. Both share a love for animals and their first outing was exactly that. Shari’s cat recently had five kittens. The pair`s bond grew from the time they spent with their feline friends.

Not only do these two animal lovers spend time with their cats, they try to do things that are offered in the public. There are many special characteristics to this pair. They have shared many special moments together, and many personal firsts. They accompanied each other to their first concerts, the Wartburg Symphony and enjoy working with the non-profit organization Feed My Starving Children.

The road to meeting for these two may have been rough, but the bond they`ve created is everlasting. Shari and Chelsey get together once a week to spend time together and they recently celebrated their one year match anniversary. When looking back on the year, Chelsey shared that she is, “excited and thrilled spending time with Shari.”

$25,000 Raised For Kids' Sake!

Thanks to all who made Bowl For Kids' Sake 2009 a success! You`ve made a positive difference in the lives of children, schools and neighborhoods in the Cedar Valley. We hope all had a great time and look forward to next year!

Big Brothers Big Sisters helps children reach their potential through professionally supported one-to-one relationships with proven results.

You can get involved today by volunteering or by making a donation.

our impact on children Bigs and Littles have fun together — and create memories that last a lifetime. We call it “Little moments … Big magic.” Research points to the powerful, positive, lasting impact Bigs have on children’s lives. Littles are: 52% less likely to skip school 46% less likely to begin using illegal drugs More likely to get along with their families and peers Learn more about our proven impact » Donate to Big Brothers Big Sisters »

real life stories Big Brother Joe always encouraged his Little Brother Aldo to strive for academic excellence and to take school more seriously. Throughout high school, Joe stuck by his commitment to inspire and help his Little Brother navigate the challenges, and his efforts paid off handsomely. Today, Aldo is a successful college student. Real stories of Bigs and Littles »

Old Chicago Donates $5,700 to Big Brothers Big Sisters Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Iowa received a $5,700 donation from Cedar Falls’ newest restaurant, Old Chicago. The restaurant partnered with the community to support Big Brothers Big Sisters. Community members were invited to be taste testers during Old Chicago’s employee training sessions on April 10-12. Attendee donations and a percentage of drink sales went to Big Brothers Big Sisters. Old Chicago, a newcomer to the area, saw their training sessions as an opportunity to give back to the community they joined. $5,700 was raised and donated to Big Brothers Big Sisters. These funds will help to mentor children in the Cedar Valley. Big Brothers Big Sisters executive director, Maria Benham, saw this as an excellent opportunity, “We were able to be on sight to share our story with those who came in, and inform others about our cause. Special thanks go to Old Chicago!”