HUMBOLDT — On their special day, the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Humboldt and Area presented four awards to honour some strong contributors to their agency.
While the organization wasn’t able to host their annual gala, they did present the awards through two videos on their Facebook page on Sept. 18, Big Brothers Big Sisters Day.
The Tyler Bieber Mentor of the Year award was presented to Susan Dunne.
“She is an authentic, genuine person,” said Morgan Forster, the mentoring program co-ordinator. “She takes our program and our agency very seriously, and she loves being part of it. We are so happy to have her and to be able to celebrate her makes it even better for us.”
Dunne got involved three years ago.
“I actually knew that Big Brothers was in our community for a long time,” she said. “I had a little bit of free time so I thought: you know what? I had some great mentors in my life and it was time for me to donate some time back.”
A write-up on Dunne said that she has made a great impact to the organization, making a huge effort to see that all children and youth are included in the group activities and that she’s always willing to pitch in when needed.
Natasha Moar received the Brody Hinz Youth of the Year award.
A write-up on Dunne Moar said she is a hard worker, serving in the school mentoring program for three years while in high school.
“She mentored two different youth, and she made a huge impact for them,” Forster said. “She helped them with their goals and played games with them and to create an environment where they felt welcome and safe and able to be themselves.
Moar said she really enjoyed mentoring because she got to spend time with another person and learn out their interests and goals in life.
“I feel mentoring is important because you get to help them answer any questions they may have about different aspects of life, like careers that may fit their interests, as well as being able to encourage younger people to achieve their goals.”
The Volunteer of the Year award went to Lora Fraess.
Jodie Hergott, the development co-ordinator, said Fraess has been supporting the agency for several years.
“She's always quick to say yes when we need her and she just jumped at the chance to be part of our newly formed event committee. We really value Lora and we look forward to having her on board and helping us make a difference for years to come.”
A write-up on Fraess said she volunteers to give back to things that have significant value in her eyes and that she can’t see anything greater in value than kids and supporting an organization that supports them.
“I can truly say my experiences with every event, from planning to execution, have been extremely positive and the extra bonus is the people I’ve met and the new friendships that have been created,” Fraess said.
Humboldt Sobeys won the Champion award.
“Dave and Joanne Doepker and Humboldt Sobeys supports many of our events throughout the year,” Hergott said. “They’re always eager to say yes, and we're always greeted with a big smile.”
The grocery store has supported Big Brothers Big Sisters through meal donations for Dvia for a Day, food donations for their Big Bunches, allowing the agency to sell tickets in their building and promoting their events.
“We care about the community and know how important organizations and nonprofits are to every community. Big Brothers Big Sisters does such valuable work,” Dave Doepker said. “We are proud to provide support when and where we are able.”
