Kosair for Kids awards Big Brothers Big Sisters grant to support youth with intellectual, developmental disabilities
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kentuckiana (BBBSKY) is honored to announce the receipt of a generous grant from Kosair for Kids. These vital funds received in 2024, totaling $60,000, are dedicated to enhancing our services for youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), helping us create even more opportunities for mentorship, growth, and connection.
At BBBSKY, our mission has always been to ignite the power and promise of youth by providing them with meaningful, monitored, and impactful one-to-one mentoring relationships. With this grant, we are able to take a significant step forward in ensuring that youth with IDD are not only included but celebrated and empowered within our programming.
Why This Matters
Young people with IDD often face unique challenges, including social isolation and limited access to tailored opportunities for personal development. By expanding our initiatives to better serve these young people, we aim to:
Foster confidence and self-esteem through meaningful relationships.
Create inclusive spaces where all youth feel valued and supported.
Provide mentors with specialized training to meet the needs of mentees with IDD.
This grant allows us to enhance our mentorship program by developing resources, activities, and training modules that are specifically designed to support youth with IDD and their mentors.
For example, consider this story of Little Brother Derek and Big Sister Stephanie:
Derek lives with his sibling and grandparents. He’s a shy and easy-going student at the Kentucky School for the Blind. According to his grandma, she wanted Derek to have a Big to keep him active and help him cope with losing his mom.
Big Sister Stephanie is kind and talkative, and although Derek does not typically feel comfortable with new people, he immediately clicked with Stephanie! Derek’s grandma says he regularly talks about how much fun he has with his Big Sister. They love to stay active together and enjoy hikes at local parks and Stephanie helps Derek safely navigate the trails. During their hikes, Stephanie patiently provides Derek with the space to talk about the loss of his mom.
Stephanie and Derek have formed an undeniable bond. Recently, Stephanie shared that she considers Ethan and his family a part of her own. Derek even wears his glasses on outings with Stephanie. This small act is a big milestone since he typically refuses to wear them around anyone!
This grant and Derek and Stephanie’s story remind us of the incredible potential that mentorship holds—not just to transform individual lives, but to strengthen our entire community.
How You Can Make an Impact
Are you interested in joining our village? Want to help transform our community through the power of mentorship? Here’s how you can get involved:
Volunteer: Become a Big and make a life-changing impact on a young person’s life.
Donate: Your contributions empower us to continue expanding and improving our programs.
Spread the Word: Share our mission with your network to help us reach more youth in need.
Stay tuned for updates on how this grant is making a difference. Thanks to Kosair for Kids, we are creating a brighter, more inclusive future for all.