We’re helping “Paint The Town GREEN”!

Big Brothers Big Sisters is painting the town green with numerous community partners and local businesses to raise awareness and to provide an avenue to recruit more mentors (bigs) to help support the youth (littles)! This is not a fundraiser! If you’re a part of the community and want to participate with BBBS visit their info page: Paint the Town Green

If you’re interested in learning more about volunteering with BBBS of Southwest Michigan, please visit their website here: BigBrothersBigSisters

PAINT THE TOWN GREEN RETURNS TO SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN
If you’ve noticed that our community is looking a little greener this week, there’s a reason. From September 14–20, 2026, businesses, organizations, schools, and community members across the region are joining Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Michigan to Paint the Town Green- a weeklong celebration of mentoring and the impact caring adults can have in the lives of local young people. Throughout the week, you may spot green storefronts and windows, employees dressed in green, special menu items, green lights, social media posts, and plenty of other creative displays throughout the community. Each one is helping send the same message: mentoring matters.

Paint the Town Green isn’t a fundraiser; it’s a community-wide awareness campaign designed to get people talking about mentorship, introduce more people to the mission of Big Brothers Big Sisters, and inspire more adults to consider becoming a Big.

For more than 65 years, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Michigan has connected local young people with caring adult mentors who spend time with them, encourage them, and help them build confidence for the future. And mentoring doesn’t have to be complicated. Being a Big can look like shooting hoops, grabbing ice cream, playing a board game, exploring a new hobby, or simply having someone to talk to. It’s about showing up consistently and building a relationship over time. Those seemingly small moments can add up to something much bigger. National research on Big Brothers Big Sisters has found that mentorship can have an impact well into adulthood, with former Littles more likely to pursue education beyond high school, earn higher incomes, and experience greater economic mobility.

Right here in Southwest Michigan, the need for mentors continues. Over 100 local children are waiting for the chance to meet a Big of their own- and more caring adults stepping forward means more young people can experience the support of a consistent mentor. That’s why so many businesses and organizations are going green this week. Every window display, green shirt, social media post, and conversation helps introduce someone new to the idea of mentoring.

So when you see green around Southwest Michigan this week, ask about it. Talk about it. Take a photo and share it! If you’ve ever wondered whether you could be a mentor, this is a great time to learn more.

Visit ThinkBigToday.org to learn about Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Michigan and what it means to become a Big.

Together, we’re Painting the Town Green, and helping more young people get an additional role model in their corner.