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Big Brothers and the Muslim Food Bank Partner for Mentoring Program
3-26-2014
Vancouver, BC, March 24, 2014 – Big Brothers of Greater Vancouver and the Muslim Food Bank Society ASPIRE Program recently partnered to develop a mentoring program specific to the Muslim community. Very similar to the original Big Brothers program which matches at-risk boys with positive adult male role models, the program has been modified slightly to better suit the needs of the Muslim community in Surrey. ASPIRE’s Program Manager, Mainu Ahmed, approached the prevention-based charity having identified a specific need in his work at the food bank.
“Although there is not a shortage of Muslims who have excelled in our community, I feel children in the community lack a connection to these positive role models,” explains Ahmed. “Many of our community members are from immigrant or refugee families and have come to Canada under very difficult conditions.”
Ahmed connected with Big Brothers in hopes that matching the boys from such families with Muslim adult male volunteers could provide them a moral compass. Given the values-based nature of the Big Brothers program, he thought it was a perfect solution to help integrate Muslim boys into Canadian systems without losing their sense of Islamic values.
As a progressive organization which readily partners with different groups to better serve the many communities represented in the Lower Mainland, Big Brothers is excited about the partnership.
“We know the structure of our programs might not be ideal for each group but have no doubt the need is prevalent within each community,” explains Joanne Kautz-Allard, Program Director at Big Brothers. “Modifying the program to make it appealing and a better service to the Muslim community is important to us. I was happy when Mainu called and explained to me how small modifications could really make a difference in his community.”
The Muslim focused Big Brothers program will include boys aged 10+ with little access to a positive adult male role model. While the program will be open to the Muslim community at large, Ahmed’s particular focus is on children from the families who utilize the Muslim Foodbank. Once matched with a Muslim Big Brother, they will spend 2 – 3 hours weekly doing no to low cost activities they both enjoy. In Big Brothers’ experience, such simple time together leads to heightened self-esteem in children which equips them with skills to make better life decisions.
Local Muslim men interested in being matched with a boy who could use a positive male influence are invited to visit www.bigbrothersvancovuer.com or contact Mainu Ahmed at mainu@muslimfoodbank.com.
About Big Brothers of Greater Vancouver
Big Brothers of Greater Vancouver helps boys aged 7 – 14 who have limited to no contact with their fathers and are, as a result, considered at-risk to not reach their full potential. Matching them with positive adult male role models, the charity sees compelling impacts on boys who develop more confidence, perform better academically and are less likely to succumb to peer pressure. One in four local children is raised without an active father.
About the Muslim Food Bank Society ASPIRE Program
The Muslim Food Bank’s ASPIRE Program aims at promoting the development and independence of Muslim Food Bank clients. The ASPIRE Program recognizes the challenges that clients face in supporting themselves and intends to help them overcome these challenges by focusing on three core areas: education, employment and community support.
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