Big Brothers of R.I. to merge with Big Brothers Big Sisters

BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS of the Ocean State is merging with Big Brothers of Rhode Island to better serve their common mission, the two nonprofits announced Thursday.
BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS of the Ocean State is merging with Big Brothers of Rhode Island to better serve their common mission, the two nonprofits announced Thursday.

CRANSTON – The nonprofit Big Brothers of Rhode Island is merging with Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Ocean State, effective July 1, said Big Brothers President Joseph C. Manera Jr.
“This was a good time to do it,” Manera said in a brief phone interview with Providence Business News. “There probably should have been a merger a long time ago. We had two organizations with the same mission, the same purpose, and it didn’t make sense to compete with one another.”
The leadership and staff at Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Ocean State could not be reached for comment but had issued a press release Friday saying a private announcement of the merger had been made at a gala on June 14.
A public announcement is scheduled for July 1 at 11 a.m. at their offices at 1540 Pontiac Ave. in Cranston, the release said.
“As both organizations come together, they will consolidate resources to continue to be the leading mentoring program, serving over 600 children and their families annually as Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Ocean State,” the larger agency said.
Details of the merger were not immediately available. U.S. Sen. Jack Reed and other dignitaries, including Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Ocean State Development Director Katje Fuson and Board President Rachelle Green are scheduled to speak, according to the release.
Manera said Big Brothers of Rhode Island is closing down its headquarters in East Providence on June 30, but that he will stay on “until the last ‘t’ is crossed and ‘i’ is dotted,” take a break from serving for about six months and then possibly take on a new role within the larger organization.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Ocean State started out as a Big Sister organization in 1967 but in 2010 expanded to include boys, despite the presence of Big Brothers of Rhode Island.
“I steered the board of directors in that direction,” Manera said of the merger. “[The two groups’ shared mission] may have led to a little confusion but the mission is the children. The mission is not about the people in the agency. Mentoring for children, that’s the underlying reason [the groups have existed].”
Big Brothers Big Sisters is a nationally recognized mentoring program that connects young people with adults who can help with confidence building, education and making healthy choices like avoiding drugs and alcohol.
To find out more about donation drop-off centers, mentoring programs and how to get involved with the nonprofit organization, visit www.BBBSOS.org or call (401) 921-2434.

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