Focusing on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Big Brothers Big Sisters has always been an agency of inclusion and acceptance. The Central Texas chapter was founded in 1971 to help a group no one else noticed or seemed to care about – troubled boys who had no father figures in their lives.

Over the years the agency has expanded to serve all children, while honoring and celebrating the diversity of the community it serves. Valuing diversity is a priority that recently inspired the creation of a new staff Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee.

“In an acknowledgement of these challenging times and the heaviness that so many are experiencing around matters of racism and exclusion, it seemed only right to do something more than making statements or posting messages of support on social media. Our agency is no exception in terms of the need to think carefully about how we show up for each other and this community. The creation of our new staff DEI Committee was an important step in engaging team members to help guide us,” said Brent Fields, CEO of BBBS.

“In the short time they’ve been meeting, we’ve already seen tremendous value from their work. They have helped to shine a light on opportunities for improvement, facilitated courageous conversations, promoted educational resources, and led us in developing strategies to better acknowledge and serve the diverse mix of individuals within our team, among the families and volunteers who are part of our program, and within the greater Central Texas community.”

The DEI Committee’s vision is to create a safe environment where all voices and perspectives are heard and honored, and to build trust within the agency by facilitating and promoting courageous conversations regarding equity within the realms of racial, social, sexual and gender diversity.