Claim OwnershipLittle Big Chats: The Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Milwaukee Podcast
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©2024 Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Milwaukee
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At Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Milwaukee, we create and support one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth.
We match children in Milwaukee and Waukesha Counties who are facing adversity… with a caring adult mentor. All of BBBS mentors are volunteers. Big Brothers Big Sisters focuses on 3 areas:
- Educational success
- Avoidance of risky behavior
- Strengthening personal relationships
And on the Little Big Chats Podcast, we highlight a new match every month so you can learn from their inspiring stories of friendship and growth.
Visit bbbsmilwaukee.org to learn more.
41 Episodes
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BBBS of Metro Milwaukee has been supporting helpful mentoring relationships in the Milwaukee area for more than 50 years now.
And it's truly our volunteer mentors who enable us to make such a massive impact on the community.
In this episode, we meet Trevor, a community-based Big Brother who’s putting other men on notice to step up and take a stake in their community.
And then we connect with Big Sister Betsy, who matched six years ago with her Little Sister Unasia, but didn’t realize she was basically getting ANOTHER mentee, Unasia’s twin sister Unique!
Some folks just don't know how to be bored.
That's why, when Little Brother Nathan met his new Big Brother Glen, he knew they would be a great match.
No matter what they found to talk about, they were both super interested and wanted to learn more.
Now, years later, the pair has turned their broad interests into all kinds of diverse hobbies, including sailing with the Sea Scouts, working on bicycles and participating in archaeological digs.
And, as a result, Nathan has so many different options when it comes to his plans for the future.
Little Sister Bella doesn't let just anyone into her life.
As a freshman in high school, she's at that age where it's not "cool" to get excited about anything, and she's got to play it off chill not matter what.
But when she met her Big Sister Marchelle a little more than a year ago, that started to change.
Together, they've learned to match "each other's vibe," taking turns picking activities, trying new things together, and never "yucking" someone else's "yum."
In this episode, we learn about their adventures together, including ice skating, making cookies, live theater and sampling weird candy from TikTok.
In this episode, we continue celebrating the 50th anniversary of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Milwaukee, highlighting the importance of mentorship in transforming the lives of youth facing adversity.
We'll speak with Julie Novak, the Chief Youth Protection Officer for BBBS's national office, about her 30+ year career with the organization and her family's continuing involvement.
And longtime Milwaukee TV anchor Carole Meekins will join us to discuss the barriers to becoming a mentor, the intergenerational impact of mentoring, and the critical importance of addressing trauma in youth development.
Earlier this month, BBBS of Metro Milwaukee celebrated its 50th anniversary with a huge party on Cathedral Square downtown.
At the same time, we cut the ribbon on our new headquarters nearby, cementing the next 50 years of our Milwaukee legacy.
For the Little Big Chats Podcast, we spent the entire afternoon chatting with matches, supporters and friends of the program to capture the impact that BBBS has had in its half-century in Milwaukee.
And in this episode, we hear from Kevin, a former Big and current member of the Board of Directors, about his experience with BBBS.
We also meet Kerry and Camille, a school-based match that has been together for two years.
When they were first matched in 2005, Big Sister Sheree and Little Sister Gabrielle didn't realize they were beginning a friendship that would carry them both into new decades of their lives.
Through elementary school, middle school and high school, Sheree was there for Gabrielle as a mentor.
But then, when Gabrielle turned 18 and her BBBS mentorship was set to officially end, they discovered they weren't ready to move on yet.
And their friendship has continued for the last 20 years. Gabrielle went out into the working world and met a fiancee, Sheree started a family... and they both discovered what a difference 20 years of mentorship can make.
Big Brothers Big Sisters is all about putting one caring adult mentor together with a young person and letting them work and grow together.
But sometimes, these matches... match up AGAIN with another pair.
One big and little match pairs up with another, and the two groups end up spending as much time together as they do in their individual duos.
So in this episode, we meet Taylor and Xavier, a Mentor 2.0 match who have been together for two years... and their friends Kristof and Isaiah, another Mentor 2.0 match who got together more recently.
They'll share their unique story, their love of sports rivalries, and their aspirations for the future, as well as give us a peak at the unique sense of humor that brings them all together.
Many grown-ups look back on their time in school and wish they could go back and do it differently. Big Sister Gabbi is no exception.
But, with her Little Sister Lupe winding down her time in high school, Gabbi actually has the chance to provide Lupe with all the advice and guidance that could have helped her thrive in the transition to college.
And here's the kicker... Lupe is listening, EAGERLY.
Together, this pair is touring campuses, sampling dining hall lunches, and preparing Lupe for a big leap into an ambitious career.
And, after hearing them together, you'll know exactly why they were selected as BBBS of Metro Milwaukee's 2025 Mentor 2.0 Match of the Year.
For Little Brother Nazir, having a Big Brother isn't just about having someone to explore and be active with.
It's about having someone challenge him to think, solve and be curious about the big questions in life.
Whether it's playing mind-bending puzzle games, reading books on self-improvement, or asking big questions about the nature of the cosmos, his Big Brother Dan is ready to join him in every pursuit.
And together, there's no adventure too big for this pair to tackle.
For big brother Josh and little brother Nathan, having a brother was a new experience. Neither of them grew up with a brother in their immediate family.
But when they got matched up several years ago, they quickly fell into seemingly familiar roles as one another's chief supporters, rivals and antagonists.
This pair loves to play games, spend time outside, and give each other a good-natured hard time.
And now as 2025's School-Based Match of the Year, in this episode they'll discuss the positive impact of their bond, the activities they enjoy together, and their aspirations for the future.
In this episode of Little Big Chats, we speak with Lanelle Ramey and Betty Hill from Mentor Greater Milwaukee about the importance of mentoring relationships, the challenges faced in the mentoring community, and the impact of mentorship on both youth and mentors.
We'll discuss our personal stories of mentorship, the importance of cultural humility, and the upcoming National Mentoring Month events aimed at promoting mentoring in the community. We'll also emphasize the need for more mentors and how individuals can get involved to make a difference in the lives of young people.
For some people, being on a microphone or on-camera is an absolute nightmare.
But not Little Brother Josiah; he eats it up.
Whether it's his budding interest as a gaming streamer, or the catalogue of music tracks he's voiced and mixed, Josiah's aspirations as a digital creator have him pursuing stardom.
And with the support of his Big Brother Miles, an entrepreneur and restauranteur, Josiah's dream-big ambitions can take root in the hard work and growth that help foster success.
Mentoring relationships supported by Big Brother Big Sisters of Metro Milwaukee can end up being some of the most meaningful relationships in participants' lives.
So, when someone's Little Brother or Sister ages out of the program, it can be a minute before they're ready to jump back in and volunteer again.
But many former Bigs still want to find other ways to stay engaged with BBBS.
So in this episode of Little Big Chats, Dusty speaks with Matt, an alumni big brother and board member of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Milwaukee. They discuss the journey of being a big brother and the importance of staying engaged with the organization even after formal mentorship ends.
Matt shares his personal experiences, and together, they talk about other opportunities for former Bigs to continue to support the BBBS mission.
10-year-old Little Sister Ocean is always looking for little experiments.
It doesn't have to be the kind of big, flashy science experiments you see at school or on social media.
Ocean is happy to take what life gives her, try something new, and see what happens.
And with her Big Sister Siobhan, the world is their laboratory.
With two brothers and two dads, Little Sister Asia was starting to feel like there was nowhere to turn for a little "girl talk."
That is, until she met her Big Sister Anna five years ago.
Since then, they've developed an indelible bond, cemented in their mutual love of dogs, their senses of humor, and the kind of advice that can only pass from a grown woman to a growing girl.
One of the hardest things to do in life is change your habits for the better.
And screen time is a habit than many people--not just kids--struggle to regulate.
But in this episode, we meet Little Brother CJ, who has taken a proactive approach to his screen time habits with the support of his Big Brother Matt.
A community-based match, they also discuss their shared interests such as sports, video games, and trying new food.
When Betsy bought her first house a few years ago, she decided it would be a practical adventure to do some of the renovations herself.
And, fortunately, she had a perfect carpenter's assistant waiting at the ready in her little sister Aaliyah.
Together, they've swung hammers, worked miter saws and built noodle boards.
And in the course of learning new skills and expanding their horizons, they've built a remarkable friendship as well.
In order to make sure that key perspectives are represented in its decision making, the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Milwaukee Board of Directors appoints three "Voices of the Mission" to its membership.
These leaders represent the Littles, the Bigs and the parents of Littles, and help the board understand how their policy-making impacts the BBBS mission on a granular level.
So in this episode, we meet the current "Voices of the Mission:" Christiana, a former Little in the program; Chloe, a current Big; and Taheréh, a parent of a Little.
They'll discuss what they hope to be able to contribute to the organization, what they've learned about mentoring, and what are some of the questions they've always wanted to ask other stakeholders within the BBBS ecosystem.
Years ago, when they matched with their Little Brother DayDay, Charles and Sarah were taken aback by how shy he was.
Now a bombastic high schooler, it suffices to say that DayDay has really come out of his shell.
But with the love and support of mentors like Charles and Sarah, and dozens of horizon-expanding experiences along the way, it's no surprise that this young man has found his voice.
And this trio is now celebrating their selection as BBBS of Metro Milwaukee's Couples Match of the Year.
Starting high school after the Covid pandemic was enough to make Briya cry.
For a self-proclaimed introvert, all the new people and situations just seemed so overwhelming.
But when she matched with Maddie through Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Milwaukee's Mentor 2.0 program, that all began to change.
In her big sister, Briya found a new source of confidence and inspiration. She chanced upon an eager compatriot for sharing her unique cultural food heritage. She discovered a new reason to stand up just a little bit straighter.
And it turns out, when you're as tall as these two are, standing up straighter can create a BIG shift in perspective!
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