Big Brothers Big Sisters Northern Sierra has announced that its Nationwide Leadership Council has identified the program as a Big Brothers Big Sisters 2020 Pinnacle Award Winner, marking the third year in a row the local organization has achieved national recognition.

The Pinnacle Award recognizes the hard work of agency leadership and staff to provide high-quality programming for the children Big Brothers Big Sisters Northern Sierra serves, including increasing agency revenue and growing overall number of matches, year over year, for two or more consecutive years.

In the past year, the program has served more than 200 area children, raised more than $200,000 in mentorship funds, and grown its local services by nearly 10% despite numerous challenges brought on by a nationwide pandemic.

---

---

“It takes a village to maintain the level of services we provide youth during a global public health crisis, and our amazing staff, volunteers, Bigs, business and community partners came together in a big way for our Littles,” said Brenda Frachiseur, executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters Northern Sierra. “Mentorship has never been more essential than it is now. When children and teens are able to stay connected with and have the influence of a caring adult, they are more likely to avoid risky behaviors and focus on academics. Being matched with a Big Brother or Big Sister can help them navigate these challenges and reach their potential. That is what this award is about — everyone coming together in times of hardship to continue to make empowering and igniting potential possible for our youth.”

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northern Sierra was incorporated in 1977 and is an affiliate of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. Serving children ages 3 to 18, its mission is to create and support one-on-one relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth.

---

---

“Over the past several months, I’ve heard from agency leaders in rural towns and metropolitan communities, those in the suburbs and every place in between,” said Artis Stevens, president & CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. “Whether they were from a smaller agency serving several hundred youth, or thousands, there’s one theme I’ve noticed everywhere, and that’s the power of resilience. The level of commitment and dedication is outstanding, to see staff doing all they can to make sure our youth will not only survive these challenging times but thrive.”

The Pinnacle Award Winners will be formally recognized at the 2021 Virtual “Bigger Together” National Conference in June.

Justin Scacco is a reporter for the Sierra Sun. Contact him at jscacco@sierrasun.com or 530-550-2643