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April 2022

I AM MORE Foundation Hosts VIP Visit at St Petersburg College with Dolphin Tale Stars and BBBS Matches

By Match Stories

Our team worked hard to create a partnership with the I AM MORE Foundation and several of our Matches were able to join a VIP opportunity at St. Petersburg College. This special event allowed Matches to visit with Nathan Gamble, and Austin Highsmith, the stars from The Dolphin Tale 1 & 2 movie series. There were other guest speakers in attendance as well, such as former Clearwater Marine Aquarium CEO, David Yates and a film producer from the movie. The Matches were also able to listen to a Q & A and learned tips on acting, public speaking, and improv. They ended the day with an inspirational message to learn to overcome and stay strong through any obstacles or challenges they face in life. Sasha, Big Sister to Mahala shared some feedback from the event:

Sasha shared, “It was wonderful. Nathan Gamble was very sweet, down-to-earth, and engaging. He played two interactive games with everyone which really broke the ice and had the children tapping into their creative side.  Nathan, David, and Austin then did a Q&A session where they engaged, once again, with the audience and told wonderful, heartwarming stories about the dolphin Winter and how she was an inspiration to many. Mahala and I saw Winter in November of 2019 as her reward for meeting our goals that year.  She was in awe that she had the opportunity to meet and talk to the actors that swam with Winter.  On the way home from the event, we talked about overcoming fears and adversities to achieve greatness. Not only that it is possible with courage, strength, and loving support but that it inspires others.”

We are so happy that Sasha and her Little had this wonderful opportunity together. The top image is from their 2019 Match Outing at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium and the second picture is from the special event when they met the actors from the movie. Thank you to our team and community partners for making this special moment happen!

Sumter County Volunteer Dinner with AmeriCorps and Big Brothers Big Sisters

By In The News

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay and AmeriCorps Seniors Host Dinner for Volunteers in Sumter County

On Thursday, April 7, 2022, Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Tampa Bay serving Sumter County, honored their volunteers by hosting a “Thank you” dinner at Francesca’s Restaurant in Summerville. The event was well-attended, with a total of 54 volunteers and staff gathered together at the dinner.  Our own Chad Mitchell, VP of Partnership Relationships, and Dawn Kuhn, VP of Individual Giving, were the key speakers, as well as a Match Support Specialist, Jan Manganiello. Each volunteer received a certificate, thank you note, pin, goodie bag, and a raffle entry for a chance at even more gifts.  The food was delicious and a fun time was had by all. Thank you to Americorps Seniors for the generous funding to host this special event and for funding our RSVP program in Sumter County. This special partnership with AmeriCorps assists Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay in defending the potential of children in Sumter. BBBS TB also serves Citrus, Hernando, Polk, Pasco, Pinellas, Hillsborough, Marion, and Alachua counties.

Join us as a defender of potential by becoming a mentor — what we call a Big. Click here to see the Virtual Orientation Schedule and make a difference today!

Helping Your Little Manage Emotions

By Resources

Helping your Little identify, understand, and learn how to better manage their emotions can be an important part of your relationship, especially if they are getting in trouble for emotional outbursts at home or in school.

Experiencing anger is a normal part of everyday life.  It plays a positive role in identifying where there may be a problem or a need that is not being met, yet students must learn how to deal with anger appropriately.  Many students suffer daily emotional stress and frustrations, especially if they are experiencing family issues, which can boil over at school and cause them to get in trouble and struggle
socially and academically. Failing to deal effectively with strong emotions can lead to problems not just now, but also later in life, including a host of health problems.

You can help your Little learn to manage his or her emotions constructively by providing a safe space to discuss their feelings and by acting as a positive role model. You may be the one person they can talk to without feeling judged, and it is important to try to see things from their perspective and validate their experience, regardless of how you may initially perceive it. As you likely know, it can be very hard to think rationally when in the grip of strong emotions, so first give your Little a chance to simply express what they feel and practice your reflective listening.  Reflective listening is a communication strategy involving two key steps: seeking to understand your Little’s idea, then stating the idea back to your Little to confirm the idea has been understood correctly.

Once they feel understood and more relaxed you can help them name the emotion, try to identify the cause of the emotion, explore what the emotion felt like physically, and then problem-solve the best ways to respond to that emotion when they experience it again. This will help them gain a better understanding of why they experience these emotions in the first place, recognize what the emotions feel like so they can identify them in the future before they boil over, and have several appropriate responses prepared so they handle emotional situations correctly and avoid getting in trouble.

Just by being an outlet for them to talk about their emotions you are probably already well on your way to influencing your Little for the better.

 

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