Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) announced Wednesday it will be suspending applications for new volunteers for the majority of its community-based programs in the Calgary area.

The organization, which offers mentoring services for children and youth, said it’s the first time in 40 years it will stop accepting new volunteers.

“Since the onset of the economic downturn, BBBS has experienced an increase in the number of parents and families reaching out for support,” the organization said in a news release. “At the same time, resources have dwindled as funding and donations have decreased.”

BBBS said many of its Calgary-based programs are at capacity and hundreds of children remain on a waitlist. It was this “unprecedented territory” which led BBBS to make the decision.

“It’s been a challenging few years. We did expect a trickle-down for the whole not-for-profit sector, but the decrease in donations for us has made it very difficult to continue to serve just the 2,000 children and youth that we serve normally every year, let alone all the children who reach out to us on our waitlist,” BBBS president and CEO Karen Orser said.

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“With most of our programs already at full capacity, it would not be fair for us to keep children and volunteers waiting indefinitely when we know we don’t have the resources to support them,.”

“It saddens us that we have to turn away volunteers at a time when the demand for mentors is larger than ever.” Tweet This

Just this past spring, BBBS was forced to cancel its largest annual fundraiser, the All-Star Weekend, saying in a statement on its website that the current economic climate had made it “impossible” to raise the level of sponsorship dollars required.

“Right at the time we were organizing it, we couldn’t get the sponsorship we needed to run the event,” Orser said.

To help overcome its financial challenges, BBBS launched a new public fundraising campaign with a goal of raising $100,000.

We're on a mission to raise $100,000 this August, doubled for twice the impact! Be an #EveryDayAllStar and donate! https://t.co/M9oZj1pnSW — BBBS Calgary (@BBBSCalgary) August 11, 2016

Orser said 42 per cent of the organization’s revenue comes from donations from individuals and community members.

“Every dollar counts – every dollar makes a difference.” Tweet This

BBBS is still accepting volunteers for its mPower, Youth-in-Care and Youth Engaging Supports programs in Calgary, as well as programs in Airdrie, Cochrane, High River and Okotoks, Alta.

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– With files from Doug Vaessen