Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay was recognized on News Channel 8 for our efforts in staying connected during the Coronavirus outbreak. As we strive to create a sense of normalcy for our matches in this digital time, we thank each and every person who has been flexible in the process.
Check out the featured video below, and read the article here.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay connects those struggling during coronavirus outbreak
Everything has changed. Our everyday lives. Our work. And many people are struggling. We understand this is a tough time for everyone but we will get through this together.
BBBSTB is open for business with our staff working from home and our matches now meeting ‘virtually’ as we all practice safe, social-distancing guidelines. The kids we serve need mentoring support now more than ever, and we are asking you to make a BIG impact by joining us to “Defend their Potential.”
Please donate to help us earn our “Match Dollars for Big/Little Matches”!
The Rays and Rowdies Foundation has challenged us to raise $60,000 for our ‘virtual Bowl For Kids’ Sake’ during the month of May and the Rays and Rowdies Foundation will MATCH that through our partnership grant! It is MAY MATCH MADNESS!!
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay is proud to have the Rays and Rowdies Baseball Foundation as long-time partners supporting our mentoring programs with their sponsorship of our annual Bowl For Kids’ Sake campaign. While we cannot host our bowling parties or attend a baseball game or soccer match right now, we can support BBBS and the Rays & Rowdies by making a donation to maximize our positive impact for kids facing adversity!
You may mail checks payable to BBBS of Tampa Bay to BBBSTB, 4630 Woodland Corp Blvd. suite 160, Tampa, FL 33614
Posted March 18, 2020 at 12:00 pm | Updated September 21, 2021 at 5:30 pm
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Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay strongly encourages volunteers, parents, and youth who are eligible to get vaccinated for the COVID-19 virus to do so at your earliest convenience, if you have not done so already. These vaccinations are free of charge and now readily available at many Publix, CVS, and Walgreen pharmacies, among other locations.
While this is a personal decision that each of you must make, I want to remind you that getting vaccinated is not just for your own safety, but also for the safety of all that we serve as well as the safety of our agency staff and overall community. While many of our Bigs and Littles have found creative ways to meet virtually and spend time together to avoid the spread of the COVID-19 virus, we also recognize the many mental health and other positive benefits of in-person meetings when done safely. Having in-person meetings is a personal and important decision between each Big, Little, and the parent/legal guardian of the Little. While there is never any guarantee that you will not be infected with the virus every time you step out of your home, as we all know there are reasonable precautions, we can take that will reduce that risk. Accordingly, when a Big/Little match make this decision to meet in person, here are the steps you (and everyone) are responsible for following:
Thank you so much for being such a vital part of Big Brothers Big Sisters and our important mission. If you have any questions, we are here for you! Please reach out to us via your Match Support Specialist here at our agency. Please stay safe and healthy…. we need you!
Very truly yours,
Stephen A. Koch
President & CEO
Prepare a plan with your Little so you can still stay in touch using FaceTime, Zoom or similar online tools. The FaceTime App is most likely already on your iPhone. Remember that your Littles will have to download/install whatever tool you choose, as well. You can also consider Google Duo and WhatsApp. Schedule time to see your Little just like you would an in-person visit and plan what you will be doing in advance with their parent or guardian. Please discuss all this with your Match Support Specialist if you have questions or problems. We have also created a YouTube playlist with videos on how to use the tools below.
There are many great ways to stay in touch with your Little virtually:
YMCA Suncoast and Tampa Metropolitan YMCA locations will be closed effective Tuesday, March 17th at 9 pm through Sunday, March 29th.
School Closures: As of March 17, 2020, the Florida Department of Education announced that all public and private K-12 schools will be closed through April 15, 2020. All end-of-year testing has been canceled. Parents, below are some educational resources and activities that you may find beneficial to keep your child engaged and throughout the extended break from school.
We know the existing relationships of our Bigs and Littles are important to keep intact, especially during stressful times. The World Health Organization has some helpful guidance on how to cope with stress and help children cope too.
We understand that this is a very stressful time for a lot of us. Stress can have a significant impact on work and school performance, your physical and mental health, as well as your relationships with others. It is important to manage stress in healthy ways. Below are some ways that can help you to cope with stress.
Support for LGBTQ+ Youth: In this time of uncertainty many LGBTQ+ youth, who likely already feel isolated, might be feeling even more detached by the social distancing mandates in your area. Support can be accessed by phone, chat & text and additional resources are available online
Things to do with your kids while social distancing for coronavirus:
Most children and families served by Big Brothers Big Sisters are facing increased anxiety due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Mentoring relationships protect against the harmful effects of stress and build resilience among children. In response, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay has completely reoriented our programming to virtually facilitate these life-changing relationships that ignite the potential of youth in our community.
Join us as a defender of potential by becoming a mentor (Big). All it takes is 4-8 hours a month, depending on the program, with a focus on being consistent and spending one-to-one quality time with your mentee (Little). The first step is to attend a Big Orientation & Training session, where you’ll learn about our programs, commitments, expectations, and the kids we serve. Let’s clear a path to a child’s biggest possible future. Check out our Virtual Big Orientation & Training dates or learn more about becoming a Big.
To our dedicated friends and supporters,
We want to keep you apprised of all we are doing at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay to ensure the health and safety of our staff, donors, volunteers, Littles and their families.
In an abundance of caution, we are suspending all Bowl for Kids’ Sake bowling parties until we navigate this ever-changing situation with the coronavirus (COVID-19). Helping to mitigate the spread of the virus means minimizing contact with large groups of people, especially at indoor events. With Bowl for Kids’ Sake being our oldest national fundraiser and a major line of revenue to support our programs and the almost 3,000 children we serve across our community, it is imperative that we continue fundraising for this important campaign. We still need your help! The good part is that you can STILL register a team and fundraise! Instead of having the physical bowling parties that were scheduled, we will be holding a VIRTUAL Bowl for Kids’ Sake campaign.
Thanks to our wonderful partners, we are able to offer some incredible prizes for those teams who raise $50 or more as a thank you for your financial support until we are able to reschedule our bowling parties to celebrate everyone’s accomplishments.
Please stay tuned to our website (bbbstampabay.org) and our social media pages (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & LinkedIn) for official updates.
We are resilient in our mission to create and support one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth. Thank you for all you do to support us in these endeavors, as we need you now more than ever.
Little Brother Kevin has been matched with Big Brother Adel for more than half his life, enrolled in the program at 5 years old after his mother passed away and his father was not in the picture. Adel shared with Kevin that both of his parents had passed away as well, and through that shared tragedy a relationship was formed. Throughout the past nearly 7 years, Adel and Kevin have bonded over karate (they took lessons together) and have shared many new experiences. Adel has helped Kevin improve his grades, reduce negative behaviors, and attain goals the two have set together. They have grown so close that last year when Adel got married, he asked Kevin to be the best man at his wedding.
As one of 13 children, David’s parents knew that he would benefit from the individual attention that comes with being a Little Brother. So when approached with the prospect of matching him with a 23-year-old Big Sister, they did not hesitate. Emily was new to Tampa Bay and was looking for a way to get connected to her new community. It was a perfect match. Through the past 6 years, David and his family have dealt with unemployment, changing homes, and switching schools. But through it all, Emily has been there to support David. She has helped him improve his reading and math levels, and they share activities like drawing, baking, and his most recent passion: rapping.
At our inaugural Annual Meeting of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay, we revealed our new Staff Award: the Sweet Alice Award. This annual award recognizes non-supervisory, program staff who demonstrate the core values of our Pinellas County founder of Big Sisters, “Sweet” Alice Young. We were so honored to have Sweet Alice with us at the event to announce the recipients of the awards with the Chief Program Officer and Senior Vice President of Programs, Jen Libby.
Over 50 years ago, Alice, a young woman from Clearwater, heard about Big Sisters in Tampa and thought “there must be little girls in Pinellas County that need a Big Sister”. So Alice gathered 30 of her friends together and just like that, established Big Sisters of Pinellas. Alice became the first Big Sister of “the club”.
Today, there are thousands of children in Pinellas County who have had a mentor in their lives thanks to Sweet Alice. Alice has personally shown us the long-term, community impact that one individual can have. Sweet Alice’s value and care for all children formed part of the foundation and structure of our culture.
We couldn’t be more proud of our three Sweet Alice Award recipients of 2020, who honor Sweet Alice’s initiative and inspiring can-do attitude in their work for our agency every day:
Camellia Lindsey, Community Relations Specialist
Our first Sweet Alice recipient provides the highest level of customer service. She’s an exemplary employee, who demonstrates that Sweet Alice initiative and serves as a very knowledgeable, friendly first point of contact for our agency. She’s a quick thinker and thorough, never taking the easy way out. She’s always eager to take on new projects and challenges even without being asked – just like Sweet Alice! She was one of the pioneers for our new Matchforce system and went above and beyond to become an expert so that she could provide support to others. Camellia’s co-workers throughout the agency regularly comment on how she goes above and beyond to assist and share her knowledge in an exceptionally friendly way.
Alyssa Reas, Match Support Specialist
Our second award recipient puts her heart into supporting our matches. She takes time to get to know the parents, the Bigs, the youth, and the school staff. From advocating for kids on our waiting list to driving around dropping off school supplies for families to connecting a grandparent to community resources, she’s dedicated to ensuring each person feels supported and connected and has the best Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay experience. The result of her efforts is Matches that are still together many years later! Alyssa is deserving of the Sweet Alice Award for continually going above and beyond for recognizing the needs of those she serves and dedicating herself to personally meeting those needs.
Cathleen Schneider, Match Support Specialist
Our third recipient of the Sweet Alice Award for 2020 has supported decade long matches. She values relationships and it’s evident in every aspect of her work. She takes the time to get to know each and every child, volunteer, and participant. She develops and fosters individual, long-lasting relationships. Like Sweet Alice, she never hesitates to help without being asked. She’s served as the leader of several projects, events, and committees and is herself a volunteer and takes the time to meet her matches in person. She researches and shares resources that help her matches grow stronger and stay together longer. Cathleen exemplifies Sweet Alice’s core values through her initiative, in the way that she inspires us and the long term impact she has made in this community.
Please join us in congratulating Camellia, Alyssa and Cathleen, our recipients of the 2020 Sweet Alice Awards, and truly VIP staff members.
Big Brother Trever and Little Brother Gavin have been matched for over two and a half years. Trever joined Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay because he wanted to volunteer as a mentor to a child and teach them the importance of working hard and being responsible. Gavin was enrolled in the program at the beginning of 3rd grade because his mom wanted him to have a positive male influence in his life. She was looking for someone who could teach Gavin life skills, the importance of school, help him with his reading, and instill the value of saving and spending money wisely. Gavin was funny, polite, and talkative, and wanted a Big Brother because on occasion he “got lonely.”
On their first outing, Trever was already incorporating reading into their time together. They went out to eat and Trever helped Gavin read some new things on the menu. Trever talked about wanting to teach Gavin how to be a gentleman, work hard, and do basic “handyman” skills that “a kid learns while being around men.” By the middle of his 3rd-grade year, Gavin was still struggling with his reading and the school was not providing the individualized help he needed to succeed. Gavin’s confidence was dropping because he wasn’t able to read as quickly as the other kids. He had switched schools and was beginning to get into trouble. Despite Gavin’s struggles at school, Trever continued to consistently spend time with Gavin, talking about situations at school, bringing him to the motorcycle shop he owned, teaching him what it took to become a business owner, and showing that hard work and dedication can go a long way.
Within the first year of their match, Gavin had moved and changed schools twice, and Trever had a new baby, but their relationship continued to grow. Gavin had improved in school and both his mother and Big Brother noticed a lot of changes in Gavin’s growth and maturity. Regardless of the number of changes for Gavin in a short time, Trever never complained and remained consistent. A few months later the family moved again, but this time they moved nearly 1 hour away from Trever. Even with the distance, Trever was determined to remain in Gavin’s life and made the adjustment. He spent once a month with Gavin for all-day outings and made sure to keep in touch with Gavin and his mom over the phone in-between visits. Trever even introduced Gavin to his new baby!
Recently, Gavin started his 5th-grade year and made the decision that he wanted to “do better this year and dress nicer.” Gavin’s mom reported that Trever has had a number of conversations with Gavin about being responsible and suggested things he can do to help out his mom around the house. Gavin began doing his laundry and even cooked dinner for his mom! As they celebrated their 2 years match anniversary, Trever talked about what a good kid Gavin is and that he feels very lucky to be matched with him. They continue to grow their friendship and Trever teaches Gavin that even through life changes and distance, friendship doesn’t have to change.
Learn how to become a Big at bbbstampabay.org/be-a-big/
Big Brother Michael has been matched with his Little Brother Jonah for over seven years. At first, Jonah was a very quiet kid and struggled with self-esteem issues. Michael is a Physical Education teacher and helped to instill more confidence in Jonah by involving him in sports – in particular, basketball. Throughout their match, they have met regularly, at least twice a month, and would go to parks to play sports, go to sporting events, or attend BBBS events.
A few years into their match Jonah was bullied at his school and Michael decided to talk with the principal of the private school where he teaches to see if he could get a scholarship for Jonah to attend. Michael’s perseverance in making this happen worked and the principal agreed to a scholarship so Jonah could attend the private school. Jonah remained at that school for two years and thrived. During that time Michael drove Jonah to and from school with him on his way to work, while still going on outings with him every other weekend.
At the new school, Jonah’s grades increased and his self-confidence did too. By eighth grade, Michael and Jonah’s grandmother and aunt encouraged him to apply to an advanced technology magnet program at a local high school and Jonah was accepted! But things were tough that first year, and though Michael worked on school projects with Jonah, and his grandmother got him tutoring, he was dropped from the magnet program. This was devastating for Jonah, who wants to be an engineer when he grows up, but also a good learning experience. Michael continued to encourage Jonah to still keep doing his best, and Jonah has remained at the high school where he takes higher-level classes now as a 10th grader.
Michael and Jonah continue to get out regularly, where their outings usually gravitate to going to the YMCA most Saturdays to work out (Jonah’s choice) and then shoot some hoops afterward. Michael still continues to help Jonah with school projects periodically, but they do other fun things like the movies. They even attended Jonah’s friend’s Bar mitzvah, when Jonah asked if Michael would take him! Their Match Support Specialist recently asked Jonah to tell her something that his Big Brother has taught him, and he said: “He’s taught me to always stand up for myself, and if people talk mean, just take it and know that they’re jealous and this makes you stronger as a person.”
Learn how to become a Big at bbbstampabay.org/be-a-big/
Big Sister Julia and her Little Sister Madison have been matched for over four years. Madison has been living with her grandmother and brother for most of her life because both her parents have a long history of incarceration. Although Madison did pretty well in school, she was definitely lacking in the self-confidence department and needed a special adult who would spend quality time with her and not let her down.
Then in 2015 along came her new Big Sister and their relationship and Madison’s self-esteem have blossomed ever since. Julia and Madison have enjoyed doing a wide variety of activities together over the years, ranging from arts and crafts, roller skating, ice skating, fishing, making tie-dye t-shirts, bowling, going on the Screamer boat ride and seeing dolphins, checking out fall festivals and attending several BBBS Christmas parties, including one where Madison got a brand new bike for Christmas. They even built a skateboard for Madison together at another BBBS event with Boards for Bros, and Julia helped teach Madison how to skateboard!
A few years ago, Julia suggested to Madison that she participate in the BBBS “Bucket List Essay contest.” Julia asked Madison to share something she always wanted to try. Madison admitted that she admired an Olympic Gymnast she’d seen on TV and wanted to become a gymnast, too. The only problem was, her grandmother couldn’t afford gymnastics lessons. So, Julia encouraged Madison to write about her wish to become good at gymnastics. Madison did and even drew pictures of her doing gymnastics to accompany her essay and she won the contest! Madison was super excited when she was awarded 10 free gymnastic lessons. To make sure that Madison got to those gymnastic lessons, Julia drove Madison there and back each week for her lessons. Madison learned a lot during that time, including how to do a split, which she was especially proud of being able to do.
Since then Madison has continued to expand her skills in sports, including cheerleading. But when she attended the annual BBBS Mike Alstott event, Madison preferred to compete in the relay races with the boys, rather than participate in the cheerleading activities, and as with everything else, Julia was there to cheer Madison on. Recently their Match Support Specialist asked Madison to tell her three things that her Big Sister has helped her with, and Madison immediately said that she has helped her with “self-confidence, and to always stay kind.” Madison shared that the thing Julia has taught her that she will never forget is to “never give up, and keep on trying!” As if it hasn’t been enough to support her Little Sister and watch Madison’s confidence in herself grow these past four years, Julia has been an avid supporter of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay as well. Recently she became an Ambassador for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay where she shares her experiences of being a Big Sister and encourages others at fundraising events to volunteer, too. Julia also joined the Leadership Council to give back to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay in other ways.
Learn how you can become a Big at bbbstampabay.org/be-a-big
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