After 44 years, Big Brothers Big Sisters Monterey Bay closes — but some matches say their bonds will last a lifetime

Originally from a big family in Utah, Amé Yeager knew she had wisdom to share with young, impressionable minds – even if she did not have children of her own. So when she saw an advertisement at the Santa Cruz Yacht Club for a Big Brothers Big Sisters of Monterey Bay fundraiser in 2017, she knew she wanted to be a part of the group.

Enter Brenda Canizal, then a 10-year-old girl from Santa Cruz. Later that year, Yeager received Canizal’s file before they met in person, and remembers immediately thinking they would be a good match as “Big” and “Little,” the terms BBBS uses for an adult volunteer mentor and a youth mentee.

“They had the kids fill out an activity page with all of these things, and they could circle what they like to do. Well, Brenda – at 10 years old – wrote ‘skydiving’ at the top of the page, and she circled it. And I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is so fun,’” Yeager said. “Brenda and I met, and from Day 1 she leaned into me.”

Yeager, 53, and Canizal, now 18, have been a longtime match through the local BBBS program, which they both said helped them create a lifelong bond, so much so that they won Match of the Year in 2023. They balance each other out, with Canizal bringing Yeager down to earth and Yeager encouraging Canizal to be more social. 

Canizal was one of only 13 guests at Yeager’s wedding, and Yeager was invited to be a part of Canizal’s quinceañera photos and festivities. Canizal said Yeager is truly like her big sister, and that their bond could never be broken. One of Canizal’s favorite memories with Yeager was making her special recipe for pumpkin soup in an actual pumpkin one autumn. 

“She taught me to be a little more out of my comfort zone. As a kid I was social, but like only to an extent,” Canizal said. “I wouldn’t necessarily make the first move, and she taught me how if I don’t initiate the first move, I’m never going to know other people, I’m never gonna get to experience things.”

The bond between Yeager and Canizal is undoubtedly one of many success stories of BBBS of Monterey Bay, which in June announced that it would be discontinuing its mentoring program after 44 years serving Santa Cruz, Monterey and San Benito counties and disaffiliating from its umbrella organization, BBBS of America, on June 30. 

No official reason was given for the decision. Lookout has made numerous inquiries about the reason for the closure.

Matthew Sinnott, board chair for BBBS Monterey Bay, said in an email to Lookout that “while much of the information discussed in closed board meetings is confidential, I can share that over the last 12 months we have worked closely with BBBSA exploring all potential pathways forward for our local agency.”

Gabriela Trigueiro, executive director of BBBS Monterey Bay and a member of the Santa Cruz City Council, said that all current participants and others interested in mentoring services should connect with M. Legere, Monterey Bay’s previous partnerships and programs manager. Legere has joined BBBS of the Bay Area and is already working with local youth, families and volunteers in her new role, Trigueiro said. 

This news came as a shock to many in the program, including Yeager. She said unlike some of the other matches, who received a letter on June 15, she found out by accident a few weeks before from a volunteer at another organization. “I immediately thought, ‘This isn’t true,” she said.

She then called the Monterey Bay program and it confirmed the news. As Yeager came to terms with the circumstances, her mind raced with questions and possible solutions, she said. She even wondered if she should insist that they couldn’t let the program go. 

“This is too important for the county. The impact that I’ve seen on Brenda … letting her know, ‘I’m not your aunt, I’m not your mom, I’m not your mom’s friend, I’m your person,’ gave her a safe space to verbalize and vocalize what she needed so that she could get through some of the toughest times in her life,” Yeager said. “I’m grateful to Big Brothers and Big Sisters, and at the same time I just wish it hadn’t ended the way that it had – but it did.”

Yeager initially felt sideswiped with the decision because it had been voted on by the board without consultation of the mentors and mentees, she said. 

Sasha Morgan, 53, has been matched with her Little through the Monterey Bay BBBS chapter for eight years. She also felt that the news of the program’s closure was sudden, but due to her experience working with nonprofits, she understood that it’s sometimes difficult to sustain a small one.

“These last couple days, it has felt incredibly sudden. There may be a really important backstory, they may have been grappling with this for a while,” Morgan said. “I want to be very gracious to not knowing what’s happening.”

Morgan and her Little, who she did not want to name because she is still a minor, are a strong match, and she said it has been a joyful experience getting to know her. Much like Yeager, she did not have any children herself but always loved having kids in her life and seeing the world through their eyes and new generations.

“My worldview has always been wanting to do anything I can to make my community a better place, even if that impact is on one child,” Morgan said. “Both myself and my Little grow from having more than maybe what you define as your immediate family and having other trusted adults in your life. That can be a very positive thing.”

One of the things she loves most about their relationship is being in the moment with her, Morgan said. She has a job that takes much of her energy and makes it difficult for her to step away from work mentally, so she loves being with her Little and focusing on that joy. They’re both good at putting phones away and enjoying their time together, whether it’s an activity or just talking about their lives, she said.

Morgan learned through an email exchange she had with BBBS Monterey Bay officials that there would be some steps current matches have to go through to be transferred, but they did not specify what those would be because she and her Little decided not to continue the program. Although she thinks there are some matches that could continue to benefit from the structure of the program, the pair concluded theirs would not. 

Despite leaving the BBBS program, Morgan said nothing will change in her relationship with her Little due to their strong bond.

“Joining this large organization may just be wonderful,” Morgan said. “Time will tell. Things could carry on under a different umbrella quite well, and that would be my hope, that people from this area can match using this larger agency. I’m just still trying to understand the current pieces.”

Similarly, Yeager hopes that being a part of the larger Bay Area chapter will be a positive experience for current matches. Her hope is that the larger chapter has more employees and funding, while still keeping the Monterey Bay matches localized.

Yeager and Canizal had their own graduation ceremony from the program together on Wednesday, since they did not get to have one with BBBS Monterey Bay. They painted pottery, went to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and enjoyed each other’s company.

They have also planned to finally complete an activity eight years in the making this summer, before Canizal goes off to Fresno State University: going skydiving together.

“I wouldn’t consider this one of our last big things, just because I know I’m still going to keep in contact with her,” Canizal said. “But it’s kind of bittersweet, just because I’ve been with Amé for so long.”

Max Chun contributed to this report.

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