We are deeply saddened to share the news that Erika Cornelisen passed away on October 7, 2021. Erika was the Executive Director of the Alvin H. Baum Family Fund and a longtime partner of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Chicago (BBBSChi) and our mission of creating and supporting one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth.

Big Brother Jordan has been matched with his Little Brother Omari for eight years, and their bond is unbreakable. Jordan is “10 times what I would have asked for in a match and shows that every day on every outing,” says Omari. The two have done everything together from playing basketball, to seeing Chicago’s museums, to taking advantage of the Chicago food scene, to just talking about life and future plans. They have become deeply intertwined in each other’s families – from weddings and birthdays to Omari being one of the first people to meet Jordan’s children when they were born, becoming like a big brother himself.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Chicago has put together a summer learning challenge in an attempt to prevent brain drain this summer! Commonly referred to as “summer slide” or “brain drain,” student learning loss over the summer months has long been a subject of concern for parents and educators. With the impact of COVID-19 and E-learning, it is more important than ever for students to continue their education over the summer.