After more than 40 years in the Greater Moncton area, Big Brothers Big Sisters says it may be forced to slash its services due to surging demand and a lack of funding.      

The non-profit organization says it needs $90,000 to continue running its current programs.

“We need more than crumbs. We need investment and we need people to believe in our investment,” says Peter MacDonald, the executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Moncton.

“We don’t have the capacity to help more kids. We won’t have the capacity to grow. We may have to cut back services. Right now we’re at a tipping point on a scale of what’s the future of the agency.”

The group matches its mentors – or ‘Bigs’ – with youth – or ‘Littles’ – as far away as Salisbury and Shediac.

“As an adult, we often get caught up in day-to-day things that don’t really matter, but for at least one day a week, one afternoon a week, I get to hang out with Emma and we’re just focused on having fun and having a good time,” says Big Sister Kayla Keenan.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Moncton has seen its numbers skyrocket over the past few years, with 275 youth seeking support, but the organization’s funding isn’t meeting that demand.

Only 10 per cent of its capital comes from the provincial government and that amount has changed since 1985. The rest of the money comes from fundraising, and while the organization would like to see the community step up its support, it has also been in talks with government to increase funding.

“Our ask to the government is to come in at a 25 per cent partnership, the way they did in 1985,” says MacDonald. “It’s not a huge increase; it’s actually just an increase of $28,000.”

He says the non-profit can’t turn to the national body of Big Brothers Big Sisters because it actually pays a membership fee to be a part of the national agency, but staff say it’s worth it.

“Going from an eight-year-old child who was illiterate to within a year now reading at a Grade 4 level, that completely changed her future,” says MacDonald.

While the organization feels it can come to a resolution with the government, it’s also asking the public to help sponsor some of the Big-Little matches that can’t be funded at this time.

With files from CTV Atlantic's Cami Kepke