Skip to main content
All Posts By

bbbs

Madalyn & Lizzet

How Little Lizzet Found Her Voice

By Match Stories

Lizzet’s Big worked hard to empower her potential and gave her the support she needed to overcome her social anxiety.

 

Big Madalyn and Little Lizzet have been matched since 2010, when Lizzet was seven years old. When they first met, Lizzet was incredibly shy — to the point that she would have mild panic attacks over presenting at school or talking to strangers. Madalyn was quite understanding of this and endured many outings where she was the only one talking.

Now, Madalyn says Lizzet barely stops talking when they’re together. “It took about two years for Lizzet to become that outgoing, but I was patient and determined to create a space for Lizzet to feel comfortable with her own thoughts and opinions and be able to share them,” said Madalyn

Many Bigs get discouraged after a year or two of spending time with a Little who remains quiet. Still, Madalyn was never frustrated by this and stuck with Lizzet, helping her realize her potential and become the talkative kid Madalyn knew she could be.

Now, Lizzet is a senior in high school and wants to become a farmer. Lizzet is grateful to have her Big Madalyn there to help her apply for scholarships or quiz her on her ACT practice tests. Lizzet even decided to enroll in dual enrollment classes to help her get college credits while she’s still in high school. Despite Lizzet being busy with her school work, a job, and joining two clubs at school, she still makes time to talk to her Big Madalyn every other week. She looks forward to times when they can see each other in person. Madalyn and Lizzet know they are going to be friends forever.

We couldn’t defend the potential inherent in each child without your support. Join our village and together we’ll clear a path to a child’s biggest possible future.

Mikey and Big Couple

Little Mikey Persevered with Support from his Bigs

By Match Stories

Before Mikey joined Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay, he feared the water. With a little determination and a lot of support from his Bigs, he overcame his fear.

 

When Big Couple Ali & Jeff were first matched with their Little Mikey, Mikey’s mom told them that he did not know how to swim. “We decided the first thing we would do is teach him how to swim. There is water everywhere. The chances of him falling into water are pretty large,” said Ali.

At first, they tried to teach him themselves. “We took him to the YMCA because Big Brothers Big Sisters has a special program where we have free membership and it was an absolute disaster.” They quickly learned that Mikey was deathly afraid of the water. Anytime Ali & Jeff would take him in the water he would cry and shake. “He would say, ‘water will kill me,” Ali stated.

Realizing they needed help, Ali & Jeff turned to the Tampa YMCA. Mikey qualified for a scholarship through the Y’s financial assistance program and they were so grateful for the help of a certified Y swim instructor. After only three lessons and a lot of encouragement from his Bigs, Mikey began to love swimming and looked forward to going to his lessons.

Ali & Jeff continue to support Mikey and are helping him reach his goal of passing the swim test. Recently, Mikey was even recognized by the Tampa YMCA for his accomplishments in swimming, showing how learning to swim can transform a child and save lives. “He always says, ‘when are we going back to the pool?’ Over three years, this is the most important thing that we’ve done for him in our relationship,” said Ali.

Your financial support can empower more Littles Mikey to reach their full potential.

Donate Today
End The Big Wait

End the Big Wait

By Fundraising Events

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay aims to take 70 kids off their waiting list this summer and match them with mentors who will change their lives for the better, forever.

Kids in our community are standing still, waiting for a mentor. The End the Big Wait campaign aims to end that wait for 70 kids on Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay’s waiting list and match them with mentors who will defend their potential.

It costs about $1,500 to provide a child with a mentor through BBBS Tampa Bay for one year—covering background checks, fingerprinting, training volunteers, and ongoing support services that are the key to ensuring that each match between a Big and a Little will be successful.

The long-term success of these matches is in our numbers. In 2018:

  • 97% of kids in our program went on to the next grade level
  • 98% had zero involvement with the Department of Juvenile Justice
  • 99% are less likely to be involved with drugs
  • 70% maintained or improved their self-esteem
  • 74% maintained or improved their educational aspirations

Your generous support now empowers kids in our community to realize their potential. Let’s make today the day we end the wait.

Access our Social Media Toolkit

Introducing: Big Futures

By In The News

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay is announcing our newest program to help Littles beyond high school.

 

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay is excited to introduce our newest program: Big Futures. This program will allow us to expand our services to continue helping Littles beyond their high school years. This program will serve Alumni Littles up to age 26 with support and guidance in making educational and career decisions with the goal that they are enrolled, enlisted or employed after high school and earning a living wage by age 26.

Big Futures will help set Alumni Littles up for success by assisting with career planning, enrolling in post-secondary education, assistance with financial aid, developing workplace skills, applying for scholarships, writing resumes, and applying and interviewing for jobs. This will be done in a few practical ways, such as:

  • Goal setting and accountability
  • Directing matches to resources that align with set goals
  • Offering workshops and special events
  • Developing community relationships that result in unique education and career opportunities for Alumni Littles

To apply for the Big Futures program, a Community-Based, Site-Based, or School-to-Work Little must have:

  • Graduated from high school, or
  • Will graduate high school in the Spring, or
  • Is 18 years of age or older

If you are interested in applying for the Big Futures program or your organization would like to partner with us to provide services to our Alumni Littles, please reach out to Dallas Ruffin, 813-769-3618 or DallasR@BBBSTampaBay.org

Join us for the 3rd Annual G.O.A.T. Beer Fest!

By Fundraising Events

Join us for the 3rd annual G.O.A.T. Beer Fest at Brew Bus Brewing! Grab your friends and join us as we unveil a new limited edition G.O.A.T. beer. All proceeds from the event benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay’s School-to-Work program.

Purchase your tickets prior to the event and save 25%! Price increases at the door.

Ticket includes one pint at the event, 6-pack G.O.A.T. beer to go, 1 G.O.A.T. branded pint glass, access to pet a goat (a real one)!

Get your tickets at shop.brewbususa.com/event/goatbeer/

 

 

 

Thank you to Florida Blue for their support of the 3rd Annual GOAT Beer Fest! Proceeds from the event benefitted our School-to-Work program, which is a three-way partnership between the local school districts, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay, and corporate and community partners to provide one-on-one mentoring in the workplace for high school juniors and seniors to help improve graduation rates

Gradation 2019

Congratulations to our 2019 Graduating Littles

By Uncategorized

Each year, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay celebrates our Littles who are graduating high school with a graduation ceremony

 

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay has had an exciting time recently celebrating the high school graduation of Littles in our mentoring programs.

On May 1st, Leto High School had 17 students graduate from our School-to-Work program with Nielsen. The event featured the recently inducted mayor of Oldsmar, Eric Seidel, as the keynote speaker. Littles reminisced about the past year in the program, spoke about their experiences with School-to-Work that they will carry into the future, and awards were presented to those with perfect attendance. Nielsen also provided scholarships to two students, Jessica and Jonathan. Special thanks to Publix for donating a cake for the occasion.

View photos from the Leto and Nielsen graduation here.

On May 14th, we hosted our annual Graduation Ceremony for all graduating Littles, their Bigs and family members, at the Tampa Garden Club. Overall, we had 92 graduating seniors this year. Before the ceremony began, guests enjoyed the photo booth donated by Andrejka Photography. The evening started with a welcome from Jennifer Libby, VP of Programs, and Stephen Koch, President and CEO, followed by a delicious dinner catered by Lynn’s Catering. Bob Conigliaro from Caspers Company was the keynote speaker and shared some sage words of wisdom for the graduates. Gerry Goldhammer represented the BBBS Tampa Bay Scholarship Fund and presented scholarships to four deserving Littles, Delaney, Damion, Nate and Bennie. The Live for 24 Foundation, who raises funds in remembrance of former Big Melissa Vanderhall, presented their scholarship to Little ZaDerricka. Each graduate was honored and recognized with a certificate and special BBBS Tampa Bay branded pen. The evening closed with a presentation from Dallas Ruffin, who announced our newest program, Big Futures, which will help support Littles beyond graduation to help ensure they succeed and meet their future goals. Everyone enjoyed the cake donated by Winn-Dixie.

View photos from the graduation ceremony here.

On May 15th, Middleton High School had 20 students graduate from our School-to-Work program with Moffit Cancer Center. Moffit provided graduation caps and gowns for the Littles to help make the ceremony feel authentic. The program coordinator at Moffit, LaWanda Courtney, spoke about her heartfelt match story with her Little. We had three graduating Littles speak about their experience in the program and how their relationships with the Bigs and all they have learned will carry with them into their futures. Scholarships provided by Valley National Bank were presented to two Littles, Lydia and Francesca.

View photos from the Middleton and Moffit graduation here.

We are so proud of all our graduating Littles and know that they will all go on to do great things in the future. Congratulations to the graduating class of 2019!

Battle of the Bass Tournament

Inaugural Battle of the Bass Tournament

By Fundraising Events

The inaugural Battle of the Bass fishing tournament, held on May 11th at the Guy Harvey Camp Mack Resort in Lake Wales, was a success by every measure. The anglers had a great day, weighing in some real lunkers. Eric Conant and Michael Foster won the Big Bass contest with an 8.5-pound hawg. Lamar Farrow and Richie Upchurt won the first-place $6,000 prize with a 5-fish weight of 28.54 pounds. Nearly 40 boats participated in the tournament, and the event raised $11,500 in support of the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay’s mentoring programs. While the fishermen were on the water, more than 30 of our Bigs & Littles got some one-on-one fishing tips from FLW Tour pro Darrell Davis, the event host and co-chairman. The day also included an exhibition from a police dog-in-training, a drawing for a free Power-Pole, and a lot of fun for everyone involved. Special thanks to the tournament co-chair Tammy Curtis and our sponsors, CenterState Bank, Tampa Bay Rays, and StevenDouglas.

View photos from the event here.

Watch the video slideshow here.

See the final Battle of the Bass Tournament Rankings.

Over the Edge 2019

By Fundraising Events

More than 40 BBBS friends and supporters, including new mayor Jane Castor and TPD Chief Brian Dugan, experienced the thrill of rappelling down 17 stories of the Tampa Hilton Downtown on April 27 as part of this year’s Over the Edge fundraising event. Participants were required to raise a minimum of $1,500 (the cost of supporting one Big/Little match for a year) for their spot on one of the ropes. The event raised $85,000 in support of the BBBS mentoring programs. In addition to Mayor Castor and Chief Dugan, other “Edgers” included the State Attorney Andrew Warren, Tampa Bay Lightning’s ThunderBug, Major Butch Delgado from TPD, four University of Tampa cheerleaders and their coach, and 8-year-old Sawyer St. Clair, our youngest participant to date. A special thanks to sponsors Flowbird, Paradise Ventures, Tampa Bay Club Sports, the law firm of Johnson Pope Bokor Ruppel & Burns, Skanska and AgileThought.

 

View photos from the event here.
Password:  OTE2019 (case sensitive)

School-to-Work Littles Headed to Nationals for FBLA

By School-to-Work

Littles at Middleton High School placed 4th in the Florida state competition for their STEM fair

 

Littles in Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay’s School-to-Work program from Middleton High School are heading to nationals for their Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) project.

Each year the FBLA must complete a community service project. Previously they lead service days at other local Tampa Bay agencies such as Metropolitan Ministries and Habitat for Humanity. This year, Middleton’s FBLA students chose to host a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fair in honor of Middleton’s STEM magnet program. Since some of the FBLA students participate in the School-to-Work program with BBBS Tampa Bay they chose to host the STEM fair for our matches in the Community-Based program.

“We wanted to share our knowledge and hopefully inspire others to join STEM, because of the amazing benefits it offers, and just hope to spark interest in general,” says Middleton student Nidhi.

The students coordinated each step of the planning for the STEM fair, from creating a flyer to planning the demonstrations. The STEM fair was hosted on February 2nd and the nineteen BBBS Tampa Bay matches who attended extracted DNA from strawberries, learned about what’s inside a computer, and had the opportunity to control a robot built by Middleton students.

Middleton took their STEM fair project to the Florida state competition, where they placed fourth. Their next stop is the national competition in San Antonio, Texas, from June 29th through July 2nd!

Check out more photos from the STEM fair here.

Annual Match Spring Picnic at Philippe Park

By Uncategorized

Each spring, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay hosts a Match Spring Picnic for Bigs & Littles to spend time together in the great outdoors.

 

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay hosted their annual Match Spring Picnic at Philippe Park in Safety Harbor. With almost 300 Bigs, Littles and staff in attendance, this was one of our biggest picnics yet!

Matches enjoyed arts and crafts, sports and games, music, dancing and a delicious lunch of hamburgers and hotdogs grilled by our own President & CEO, Stephen Koch, and his Little Jon.

Special thanks to Starbucks for donating coffee and iced tea for our matches to enjoy at the picnic and the Hobbs Foundation for making the annual Match Spring Picnic possible

View all of the photos from the Match Spring Picnic here and here.

Skip to content
Branded by Stevie & Fern