In The News

Big Brothers Big Sisters is teaming up once again with the NFL to inspire change across the nation. Though the NFL season is over, our search for potential Bigs is only just getting started.

The mission of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay is to create and support one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth. Our mentoring program helps build bridges and break down barriers by pairing one adult volunteer (Big) with one child (Little) and supporting each Big/Little match at every stage. There are currently over 600 local children waiting for a Big. We are launching The Big Draft to recruit more Bigs. We would be thrilled to have your help in sparking excitement for the Big Draft by encouraging volunteers to sign up as Bigs.

You can help by using your voice to be part of the defenders of potential and ensuring the biggest possible future for our youth. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & LinkedIn for updates on the campaign and tag your friends, family, and colleagues who you think would make great Bigs. Click here to learn more about The Big Draft.

Get started as a Big by attending a Big Orientation & Training session. We have upcoming in-person and virtual options available.

In the news: Pepsi Stronger Together, PepsiCo’s series of grassroots initiatives bringing tailored programming support to communities across the country, announces a $1M commitment to Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (BBBSA), the preeminent one-to-one youth mentoring organization in the country, supporting its mission to provide greater equity and access to mentorship experiences. With this shared commitment, Pepsi Stronger Together and BBBSA aim to transform communities by providing critical, supportive relationships young people need to thrive today.

Currently, there are over 30,000 youth across the country waiting for mentors, called ‘Bigs’, with most being young boys of color. Studies show that children who have role models are more likely to do better in school, have better connections with family and friends and are less likely to be involved in delinquent behaviors. To create sustainable, long-term solutions, the partnership will focus on developing BBBS core programming and local activation in key markets, attracting more volunteers, especially men of color, and expanding Big Brothers Big Sisters’ reach in serving more young people.

“As someone who benefitted from the Big Brothers Big Sisters program as a child, I know first-hand how mentorship programs can change lives. I’m honored to be able to continue my commitment to the organization not just personally but professionally as well. Uplifting communities is the core of Pepsi Stronger Together, and I’m proud we’ll be able to make an impact on the incredible work of Big Brothers Big Sisters for young people nationwide,” said Floyd Ferjuste, Vice President of Retail Sales, South Division, PepsiCo Beverages North America, who will also be joining the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America board of directors.

The national partnership kicks off with tailored activations in Miami, FL, Nashville, TN, Tampa, FL, and Los Angeles, CA, supporting various programs in local communities including Bigs in Blue, BBBS first responder engagement program, and Big Futures, a workplace mentoring program reaching young people between 18-25 years old. The donation from Pepsi Stronger Together, which will be made even larger in partnership with Shaq’s Fun House on February 11^th where a portion of ticket sales will be contributed to these programs, will also help in supporting Big Brothers Big Sisters’ largest recruitment engagement, called The Big Draft. The Big Draft is a three-month initiative focused on recruiting men, especially men of color, to sign up and get involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters as mentors and volunteers.

For over 100 years BBBSA’s has been dedicated to advancing equity, impact, and growth across the organization, making a lasting impact on the lives of young people. Today the organization creates and supports one-to-one mentoring relationships helping build self-confidence and emotional well-being, and empowering young people on a path to graduate with a plan for their futures and a mentor whose impact can last a lifetime.

“Now more than ever, Big Brothers Big Sisters agencies across the country are finding innovative ways to serve young people and strengthen communities,” said Artis Stevens, president and CEO, BBBSA. “With the support of partners like Pepsi Stronger Together, who are committed and dedicated to the communities they serve, we can drive more meaningful impact at a time when young people need us most.”

To learn more about this partnership and ways to get involved, visit www.bbbs.org.

About Pepsi Stronger Together

Pepsi Stronger Together is a national initiative to empower and engage communities around the country by providing tailored programming and resources that bring people together. It was conceived with the idea that now, more than ever, we must foster a sense of connection and belonging, starting by investing locally. Launched in May of 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic – engaging its network of partners in the South to shine a spotlight on essential front-line workers in a variety of industries – Pepsi Stronger Together was expanded in October of 2020 by partnering with NBA teams and charitable organizations to foster, among other things, community and police relations.

Guiding PepsiCo is our vision to Be the Global Leader in Convenient Foods and Beverages by Winning with Purpose. Under this vision, Pepsi Stronger Together is continually evolving the program to respond to the cultural moment and meet the needs of communities across the United States. Stay up to date at pepsistrongertogether.com, where visitors can engage in conversation and learn about the latest community initiatives and how to give back. Follow the conversation on social media at @pepsistrongertogether.

Did you know that January is National Mentoring Month? National Mentoring Month focuses national attention on the need for mentors and how each of us can work together to ensure positive outcomes for our young people, such as educational success, avoidance of risky behaviors, higher aspirations, greater confidence, and better relationships.

To celebrate the importance of mentoring this January, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay is highlighting our Big & Little matches to show how being a friend and role model to a child can transform their life. With more than 900 youth across our nine counties waiting to be matched with a Big, our need for positive adults to step up and volunteer is greater than ever before. BBBS Tampa Bay asks people in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Polk, Pasco, Citrus, Hernando, Sumter, Maron, and Alachua counties to defend the potential of our youth through one-to-one mentoring relationships and consider being a consistent and trusted friend to a kid.

Here’s how you can get involved this National Mentoring Month:

• Get out there and make a difference by becoming a volunteer mentor. The first step is to attend a Virtual Big Orientation & Training to learn more about our programs and how you can become a volunteer. View the full schedule of Big Orientation & Trainings here.
• Follow Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter and use our social media toolkit to spread the word about our need for mentors!
• Throughout the month, we encourage everyone to tag a friend who would be a great Big using the hashtag #BBBSMentoringMonth and tell them to visit bbbstampabay.org/be-a-big to learn more.

November is National Native American Heritage Month. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay is proud to honor this month and share knowledge with you and your Little about indigenous cultures to better understand the unique history and challenges the group faces today.

WHEN WAS NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH ESTABLISHED?

One of the first known proponents of establishing an American Indian Day or First Americans Day was Dr. Arthur C. Parker, a Seneca Indian, the director of the Museum of Arts and Science in Rochester, N.Y. He approached the Boy Scouts of America in 1915 and for three years the day was honored. Various iterations of the month have come about from the recommendations of citizens such as “National American Indian Heritage Month”, “Native American Heritage Month”, and “National American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month”. Learn more about how the month was established here.

DID YOU KNOW?

There are more than 574 federally recognized Indian Nations (referred to as tribes, nations, bands, pueblos, communities, and Native villages) in the US. There are also there are state-recognized tribes recognized by their respective state governments. Learn more about contemporary tribal governments here.

Have you heard about the Code Talkers? The Code Talkers from World War I and World War II were hundreds of Native American servicemen from over 20 tribes that used Indigenous languages to send secret messages that our enemies were never able to break. These Native Americans helped lead U.S. forces to military victory in some of the largest battles of the twentieth century. Learn more about the Code Talkers here.

EVENTS

Tampa Bay History Center: Native American Exhibits Virtual Tour | Tuesday, November 9 at 10 a.m.

Join the Hillsborough County Library online as we get a glimpse at some of the history center’s special spaces including Florida’s First People, The Seminole and Miccosukee Story, and Coacoochee’s Story Theater. The video tour and brief presentation will be followed by a question-and-answer session with an official Tampa Bay History Center representative.

National Endowment of the Arts featuring the 2021 U.S. Poet Laureate | Friday, December 3 at 6:30 p.m.

Join the National Endowment of the Arts (NEA) as they feature this year’s Poet Laureate, Joy Harjo. Harjo eloquently discusses both her personal experiences and the collective Muscogee (Creek) Nation history. Register now to join next month’s live event.

Big Brothers Big Sisters agencies across the United States and Canada will celebrate Big Brothers Big Sisters Month throughout the month of September. Our volunteer mentors support 41,000 youth in Canada and 109,254 in the United States. Big Brothers Big Sisters nationally has 230+ agencies in over 5,000 communities in all 50 states. Big Brothers Big Sisters Month — first founded by our neighbors to the north in Canada — recognizes the “critical importance of mentoring relationships, especially now, when our commitment to young people and the essential intervention service we provide is being challenged like never before.”

We aim to inspire youth from five through young adulthood. The pandemic has tested our collective resolve for more than a year now, but our kids, staff, and volunteers have shown strength and resiliency. Thanks to the generosity of our donors and the agility of program stakeholders, we were able to quickly and easily transition to a virtual environment. Kids are less likely to feel isolated and depressed when they have a consistent adult they can count on.

The numbers show that overall our matches are lasting longer than ever, with “typical Site-Based matches lasting nearly one and a half years – 34% longer than the average match length 10 years ago.”

Additionally, our Littles surveyed nationally last year made qualitative improvements in the eight outcome areas: Social Competence, Academic Performance/School Grades, Educational Expectations, Emotion Regulation, School Connectedness, Depressive Symptoms, Risky Behaviors – School Discipline, and Risky Behaviors – Bullying.

Ignite the power and promise of youth through one-to-one mentoring. Become a mentor or Big, and you can help a child reach their full potential with just a few hours of your time every month. It’s all about authenticity, and BBBS gives you access to trained staff to support your mentoring match. You don’t have to be perfect – just show up, be yourself, and have fun! #ItTakesAVillage

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay Receives 2020 Big Brothers Big Sisters of America Quality Award

The accolade acknowledges the agency’s outstanding leadership and staff in implementing mentoring programs for local youth in the 7-county service area.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay (BBBSTB) is honored to be awarded a 2020 Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (BBBSA) Quality Award Winner. The BBBSA Nationwide Leadership Council selects agencies every year for excellence in igniting the power and promise of youth with 1-to-1 mentoring and other key benchmarks. Throughout this past year’s challenges, 49 out of the 236 Big Brothers Big Sisters agencies across the country received this honor.

“Over the past several months, I’ve heard from agency leaders in rural towns and metropolitan communities, those in the suburbs and every place in between,” said Artis Stevens, President & CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. “And there’s one theme I’ve noticed everywhere, and that’s the power of resilience. We congratulate these agencies for earning these top honors. The level of commitment and dedication is outstanding with staff doing all they can to make sure our youth will not only survive these challenging times but thrive.”

The Big Brothers Big Sisters national organization was founded more than 100 years ago and originally sprung from a need to offer an alternative path for youth facing the juvenile justice system. We still partner with the Juvenile Justice Department, but now focus on more proactive methods to keep kids on the right track. Our mentoring programs achieve measurable outcomes, such as academic success, avoidance of risky behaviors, greater confidence, and improved relationships. Our agency is proud to have served more than 2,400 children in 2020.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay is to be formally recognized as a 2020 Quality Award Winner at the 2021 Virtual ‘Bigger Together’ National Conference held June 28 –July 1, 2021.