Skip to main content
Category

In The News

Diverse group of kids looking at a comic book.

Talking to Kids about Anti-AAPI Racism, Diversity, and Social Justice

By In The News

Our work at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay improves lives and helps connect our wonderfully diverse communities to one another. Part of building that understanding is helping our children process their feelings in the wake of injustice, such as the recent attacks on Asian and Pacific Islander Americans in Atlanta and across the nation as COVID-19 rocked our communities. Many kids are feeling anxious, confused, or scared and have questions about what is happening across the country and in the local Tampa Bay community. Discussions about race and racism can be difficult, but checking in with your Little in the wake of racist violence is crucial. Talking with a trusted adult and finding ways to take positive action is important for children. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay collected some resources for our Bigs, Littles, and families to have open discussions about racism, diversity, and social justice.

 

 

  • Guide for Parents of Asian/Asian American Adolescents How to Talk About Anti-Asian Racism With Your Child: Brutal attacks, hateful language, and total avoidance—the COVID-19 pandemic has fueled intense racism against Asian Americans. There have been more than 3,700 hate incidents against Asian Americans between March 19, 2020 and February 28, 2021 reported to Stop AAPI Hate, a national coalition launched in March 2020 to report on anti-Asian American discrimination during the pandemic. This is a sharp increase from the previously reported 2,500+ incidents between mid-March and early August 2020. Experts suggest starting the conversation in a place where it can happen more naturally like in the car, while eating together, or during shared activities. Ask questions like, “Do you feel safe going back to school? What will help make you feel safe?” and “Do you worry about being looked at differently because you’re Asian?” Use age-appropriate language but be direct; don’t expect kids to “read between the lines.”

 

  • Talking to Kids About Racism and Violence – How to Talk About Anti-Asian Racism With Your Little: How can parents and mentors, many of whom are struggling themselves, help kids process what they’re seeing and manage their feelings? There’s no single correct answer. That said, there are a few guidelines parents can keep in mind to help kids deal with troubling news about racism and violence. Do your best to meet your child or Little where they are and acknowledge their feelings, fears and worries, even if they express things that make you uncomfortable. It’s also important to assure kids that you’re doing everything you can to keep them safe. This is especially true for very young children, who may mistakenly believe that whatever they’re hearing about is an immediate danger to them and their loved ones.

 

  • Anti-Asian Racism Webinar – Understanding the Historical Context of Anti-Asian Racism in America: This webinar from the MGH Health Institute broadly explores racism in our country (such as the Chinese Exclusion Act) and how the experiences of Asian-Americans are not monolithic.

 

  • National Association of School Psychologists – Supporting Vulnerable Students in Stressful Times: Tips for Parents: The current climate of divisiveness, anger and fear in this country is having a significant impact on many children and adults. Feelings of uncertainty are particularly heightened for communities and families struggling to understand and cope with hate-based violence, discriminatory or threatening actions or speech, and shifting policies that are causing new uncertainties for specific populations. This is a crucial time for families and schools to work together to foster supportive relationships, to help children understand their emotional reactions, and to teach effective coping and conflict resolution strategies. The tips and related resources in this document are intended to help you support your children.

 

  • National Association of School Psychologists – Understanding Race and Privilege: Across the nation, children of all backgrounds are experiencing a time in which discussions about race, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, and culture are at the forefront of their everyday lives. Many people avoid these discussions because they fear that conversations about race, bias, and racism lead to feelings of anger, guilt, discomfort, sadness, and at times disrespect. The current state of our Union, however, no longer allows for these tough conversations to be ignored. While uncomfortable for some, school psychologists are in a position to lead or at least participate in these conversations. By using their knowledge and expertise of systems-level change, school psychologists can facilitate the dialogue to bring about positive, productive outcomes

 

  • Racial Equity Tools is designed to support individuals and groups working to achieve racial equity. This site offers tools, research, tips, curricula and ideas for people who want to increase their own understanding and to help those working toward justice at every level – in systems, organizations, communities and the culture at large.

 

  • Girl Scouts – Help Your Kids Take Action Against Racism: Whenever we see injustice, we all have a responsibility to confront it. Every day, no matter our background or our age, every single one of us has a role to play in taking on an unfair system while working to build a new one that truly works for all. Guiding our girls in learning to recognize and challenge structures and practices that fuel inequality and cause harm helps them play an active role in creating the positive change our society needs.

 

  • Glazer Children’s Museum – Social Justice: We have created a page on our website filled with free resources for families about racism, trauma, violence, and the historic context of activism. This is just our small piece of the puzzle. To the black and brown families in our community – we are here for you. We will help you help your children through this.

 

  • Edutopia – Teaching Young Children About Bias, Diversity, and Social Justice: As a society and within our educational institutions, discussions about bias, diversity, discrimination, and social justice tend to happen in middle and high schools. We’ve somehow decided that little kids can’t understand these complex topics, or we want to delay exposing them to injustices as long as possible (even though not all children have the luxury of being shielded from injustice). However, young children have a keen awareness of and passion for fairness. They demand right over wrong, just over unjust. And they notice differences without apology or discomfort.

 

  • Mentor.org – Supporting Young People in the Wake of Violence and Trauma: Episodes of violence and trauma in young people’s communities, especially those that arise from a place of systemic inequality, prejudice and racism, impact young people’s lives in a variety of ways. Mentors are uniquely positioned to help young people process these experiences by providing a space to express their emotions, ask for help, and channel uncertain feelings into positive, constructive action. However, mentors may need strategies for supporting these discussions and actions as well as support for being allies to young people trying to make sense of their feelings. For example, in the aftermath of tragic incidents of racial profiling and violence resulting from police actions, young people may feel unsafe, angry, frustrated, sad, and powerless. This guide was developed to help mentors build relationships with young people that affirm their experiences and cultivate a sense of safety after incidents of violence or traumatic events occur.

 

  • Child Mind Institute – A Clinical Perspective on Talking to Kids About Racism: As the nation mourns the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and other black Americans, discussions of racism and violence dominate the national conversation as well as the conversations we’re having at home. Talking to kids about racism and racialized violence is hard, but it’s also necessary — today and as kids grow up. Below, advice for parents on this topic from two of the Child Mind Institute’s expert clinicians.

 

  • Child Mind Institute – Racism and Violence: How to Help Kids Handle the News: With protests over the violent deaths of black Americans dominating the news, it’s understandable that many kids are feeling scared, confused or angry about the situation. How can parents, many of whom are struggling themselves, help children process what they’re seeing and manage their feelings? There’s no one right answer. That said, there are a few guidelines parents can keep in mind to help kids deal with troubling news about race and violence.

 

  • Nia House Learning Center – 40+ Children’s Books about Human Rights & Social Justice: Young people have an innate sense of right and wrong, fair and unfair. Explaining the basics of human rights in age-appropriate ways with stories and examples can set the foundation for a lifelong commitment to social responsibility and global citizenship. As a parent to a preschooler and a professor of peace and human rights education, here are my top picks for children’s books that discuss important issues—and that are visually beautiful. Some of the books listed offer an overview of rights; the majority show individuals and organizations past and present who have struggled to overcome injustices. All offer different levels of child-friendly images, concepts and text.

 

  • Embrace Race: As US racial divisions and inequities grow sharper and more painful, the work of envisioning and creating systems of authentic racial inclusion and belonging in the United States remains work in progress. We believe that reversing the trend must begin in our homes, schools, and communities with our children’s hearts and minds.

 

  • Greater Good Magazine – Anti-Racist Resources from Greater Good: Our mission at the Greater Good Science Center is to elevate the human potential for compassion. But that does not mean we deny or dismiss the human potential for violence, particularly toward marginalized or dehumanized groups.

 

  • Community Tampa Bay – Virtual Programs Let’s Talk About Race: We at Community Tampa Bay asked ourselves what can we contribute during this difficult time? Perhaps we could engage folks in examining the impact, causes, and consequences of prejudice and discriminatory systems as it relates to individual and community health? Perhaps we could promote reflection on the intersections of our own and each others’ social identities as we navigate this experience? Or perhaps we could do all of the above while prioritizing what we do best – having fun, sharing laughter and building community! Join us for our various virtual programs.

 

  • Undoing Racism The People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond: The People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond (PISAB) focuses on understanding what racism is, where it comes from, how it functions, why it persists and how it can be undone. Our workshops utilize a systemic approach that emphasizes learning from history, developing leadership, maintaining accountability to communities, creating networks, undoing internalized racial oppression and understanding the role of organizational gatekeeping as a mechanism for perpetuating racism.

 

  • Showing Up for Racial Justice: Political education is the collective process of study, research, analysis, and storytelling that helps us understand our situation and what we’re up against and what we can do about it. The purpose of political education is to build a shared language about our situation, a shared framework for understanding our situation, and a shared understanding of our history so we can better understand how we got here and what we can learn from those who went before us. We engage in political education to sharpen our skills in taking action for movement building for solidarity and social justice.

 

  • The Conscious Kid: The Conscious Kid is an education, research and policy organization dedicated to reducing bias and promoting positive identity development in youth. We partner with organizations, children’s museums, schools, and families across the country to promote access to children’s books centering on underrepresented and oppressed groups.

 

  • Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kentuckiana Race/Ethnicity/Culture Toolkit for Bigs: What should I tell my Little about police brutality, protests, and/or race relations? First, assess how your Little is feeling and reacting to events in the area. Your Little may just be focused on playing basketball or otherwise distracted and seem uninterested or averse to talking about recent racial events. That is okay. This could be their version of self-care. Do not feel the need to force the issue. They may not be ready to talk.

 

  • Racial Trauma in Film: How Viewers Can Address Re-traumatization: When you are watching a movie or a show, your brain thinks the action on screen is happening to you. This is why you have to consciously tell your brain, “It is just a movie.” Our mirror neurons are part of the reason we cry during a sad part of a movie, laugh at jokes, and jump at a scary scene (Zacks, 2015). Our emotions are deeply impacted by watching film and media content. This raises the question: “What happens if we watch content that we have already experienced ourselves and was traumatizing in our real, present-day life?”

 

  • Confronting Prejudice: How to Protect Yourself and Help Others: Dealing with prejudice—whether it’s microaggressions, bias, or discrimination—is physically and psychologically demanding. But avoiding it is not always an option. “Not everyone has the luxury of leaving a prejudicial workplace or neighborhood,” said Natasha Thapar-Olmos, Ph.D., Program Director at OnlinePsychology@Pepperdine, the online Master of Arts in Psychology at Pepperdine University’s Graduate School of Education and Psychology. External link “But there might be things we can do and some tools to cope.” What are those tools? Use this guide to understand where prejudice comes from, what it looks like, and how you can help others experiencing it.

 

  • Mental Health Resources for Youth People of Color: Young people of color are resilient. But being a young person of color in America today can mean consistent exposure to traumatic incidents directed at their communities, whether in person, on television or through social media. While awareness can spur action that results in change, it can also take an emotional toll on young people that can impact other facets of their lives like schooling and relationships. Maintaining mental health is important and seeking help can be necessary to stay healthy. In this article, OnlineCounselingPrograms.com has assembled a variety of mental health-focused content and resources to support young people of color.
AmeriCorps Seniors RSVP

BBBS Tampa Bay Awarded $75,000 to Support Senior Volunteer Service

By In The News

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay announced today that it has received an AmeriCorps Seniors RSVP grant of $75,000 from the AmeriCorps federal agency to support 75 RSVP volunteers serving in Hernando County, Florida. The grant will expand Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay’s presence in Hernando, which was previously unserved by an AmeriCorps Seniors RSVP project.

With this new funding, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay will leverage the skills and experience of seniors in Hernando County to create more one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth. These AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers will be mentors, or Bigs, who spend one-on-one time mentoring a child in their community, offering friendship and guidance for kids.

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.

You can become a Big by attending a 90-minute virtual Big Orientation & Training session. View the schedule of orientations at bbbstampabay.org/be-a-big

 

Throughout the challenges of 2020, AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers persisted, supporting communities as they respond and recover from the impact of COVID-19. These dedicated volunteers have combatted food insecurity, helped students transition to online schooling, connected veterans to jobs and benefits, and responded to the community need created by the pandemic. AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers continue to respond creatively to the challenges presented by COVID-19, adapting their service models to better serve their communities while staying safe. These new COVID-safe service initiatives include sewing masks for first responders, making daily wellness calls to homebound senior citizens, and contact tracing.

AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers stay healthy and active through service, improving their own lives as they improve the lives of others. A growing body of research affirms the numerous mental and physical health benefits of volunteerism, including lower mortality rates, decreased rates of depression, and increased strength and energy. Findings from a recent agency-sponsored study show that AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers serving with the Foster Grandparent and Senior Companion programs report feeling less depressed and isolated, along with stable or improved health scores.

Today, AmeriCorps Seniors engages approximately 195,000 older Americans in service at 29,800 locations across the United States and territories through its Foster Grandparent, Senior Companion, and RSVP programs. Established in 1971, RSVP engages Americans age 55 and older in service, responding to our nation’s most pressing challenges.

 

Bulls for Brighter Futures

School-to-Work Graduates Create Mentoring Program at USF

By In The News, School-to-Work

Two graduates of the School-to-Work mentoring program with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay have created their own mentoring program at the University of South Florida. “Bulls for Brighter Futures” provides underserved high school teens with resources to help them navigate their careers and lives through one-to-one mentoring with a college student.

Bulls for Brighter Futures

 

Chyanne School-to-Work GraduateChyanne Eaton, double majoring in Biomedical Science and Spanish at USF, is Co-President and Founder of Bulls for Brighter Futures. Chyanne felt that her time in the School-to-Work program as a Little was invaluable. As a high school student who planned to attend college, the School-to-Work program provided Chyanne with essential life skills. For instance, she learned how to navigate the college admissions process, establish and use credit,  and combat implicit bias. Having a Big gave her someone to go to for advice or reassurance.

Nidhi School-to-Work GraduateNidhi Bangalore, double majoring in Biomedical Science and Psychology at USF, is the VP of Menteeship for Bulls for Brighter Futures. Connecting with her Big through the School-to-Work program helped her focus on her education while building interpersonal skills. She looks to her Big as a friend and teacher who truly has an impact on her life. She saw herself grow as a person during the two years she spent in the School-to-Work program. “Seeing how someone’s guidance and friendship can help another, I hoped to foster that same bond with the new mentors and mentees in our program,” Nidhi explained.

 

From Mentees to Mentors

Knowing how critical mentoring relationships were to their success, Chyanne and Nidhi saw an opportunity to provide mentorship to high school students looking for guidance.  Chyanne said, “My Big helped me to feel more confident in myself and made me realize that I don’t have to have everything figured out right away. This relief is something that I want to provide for other high school students and has inspired my friends and me to create the mentorship organization Bulls for Brighter Futures.”

Although they faced challenges while building the program, they had support from their Bigs along the way. From mentee to mentor, their experiences with the School-to-Work program will forever guide them on their path to mentor more kids.

Learn more about how you can inspire the next generation of mentors through our School-to-Work program.

Over the Edge

Reaching New Heights at Over the Edge

By Fundraising Events, In The News

More than 50 people rappelled down the Hilton Downtown Tampa last Saturday at Over the Edge to support Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay’s youth mentoring programs.

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, Police Chief Brian Dugan, and Bay area team mascots were just a few of the 55 “Edgers” who rappelled for a good cause. Each Edger raised $1,500, which is the cost of supporting one Big & Little “match” for one year in Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay’s programs.

“A lot of our kids need that special adult in their life,” says Stephen Koch, President and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay. “When our kids have been matched for a year with our volunteer, we see their confidence level soaring, their grades improve.”

The need for volunteer mentors, or Bigs, has never been greater. Children in our community are facing increased stress and social isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Mentoring relationships protect against the harmful effects of stress and build resilience among children.

Funds raised from Over the Edge will take 65 kids off their waiting list of over 650 who want to have a Big Brother or Big Sister.

You can support Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay by becoming a Big or donating today.

 

Thank you to our Over the Edge sponsors

Frenchy's Restaurants

Flowbird

SKANSKA

Wehr Constructors

How To Double Your Donation with Employee Giving Programs

By In The News

Employee giving programs offer an exciting opportunity to have a greater impact. Each Donation could be doubled, tripled, or more, and every hour volunteered could come with a monetary contribution as well. 

We’re going to explore two of the most popular forms of corporate philanthropy:

  • Employee matching gifts: Donations offered by companies to nonprofits that their employees have already supported. 
  • Volunteer grants: Monetary contributions made by a company to a nonprofit that their employees have volunteered for.

 

Matching Gift and Volunteer Grant information provided by
Powered by Double the Donation

What are corporate matching gift and employee volunteer grant programs?

Corporate matching gift programs are charitable giving programs created by corporations in which the company matches donations made by employees to nonprofit organizations or educational institutions. Donors can double their impact by utilizing the matching gift programs in place at thousands of companies. 

Employee giving programs have been around since 1954 when the GE Foundation created the Corporate Alumni Program, the first corporate matching gift program. Today, the GE Foundation matches over $35 million annually to 501(c)(3) organizations and accredited educational institutions (including K-12). Since then, thousands of companies have created similar employee-giving programs. 

The most common match ratio is 1:1, meaning that the company will donate the same amount as the employee did. Each company will set a dollar amount to contribute per employee each year. Employees can then make as many matching gift requests as they like until they hit that maximum dollar amount. 

Volunteer grant programs, also known as “Dollars for Doers” programs, are charitable giving programs set up by companies to provide a monetary donation to eligible nonprofits where their employees volunteer as a way to encourage community engagement. Suppose you volunteer for a nonprofit organization like ours and work for a company with a volunteer grant program. In that case, you can request a volunteer grant from your employer to increase your impact on our organization. 

These volunteer grants can be set amounts ($750 for 50 hours volunteered) or hourly amounts ($10 per hour volunteered). 

Matching gifts and volunteer grants ultimately help us match more Bigs with Littles to create more one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth. You can help us build these life-changing relationships by searching for your own match-eligibility.

Immediately gain access to detailed information about your employer’s corporate giving programs and assess your eligibility by searching our database of companies that offer employee matching. Double the Donation provides you with as much of the following as possible:

  • Up-to-date, company-specific program guidelines 
  • Minimum volunteer hours required to qualify for a matching donation
  • Links to the online matching gift request forms or downloadable PDFs offered by your employer
  • Our contact information (Tax ID, address, fundraising contact), which you may need for your matching gift request 

How prevalent are corporate giving programs? 

Corporate giving programs have gotten more popular with time. More than 65% of Fortune 500 companies offer matching gift or volunteer grant programs, and countless smaller companies have followed suit. 

Some companies have gotten creative with their corporate giving, offering higher matches to organizations in a specific sector (educational, cultural, environmental, etc.) or even matching funds raised by employees in peer-to-peer campaigns. 

A few examples of these programs include: 

  • Verizon provides $750 grants for 50 volunteer hours and matches up to $5,000 annually
  • IBM provides $1,000 grants to nonprofits where an employee has volunteered for 40 hours. They also match up to $5,000 annually for current employees or retirees.
  • In addition to similarly generous matching gift and volunteer grant programs, BP matches funds raised for nonprofit walks, runs, etc., and offers every employee an annual $300 grant to donate to any nonprofit organization. No initial donation or volunteering is required! 

Thousands of companies, representing more than 18 million people, offer matching gift or volunteer grant programs. 

We hope you’ll take a few extra minutes to see if your company offers employee giving grants — grants that could equal hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars for the nonprofit organizations and educational institutions you care about.

Matching Gift and Volunteer Grant information provided by
Powered by Double the Donation

NFL Inspires Change with the Big Draft

By In The News

Big Brothers Big Sisters is teaming up with the NFL to inspire change because now is the time. Although 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. You can also share our campaign with your social media followers using our The Big Draft social media toolkit. Learn more about The Big Draft at www.bigdraftplaybook.com

 

Get started as a Big by attending a Big Orientation & Training session.

A Message from Pam Iorio and Artis Stevens of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America

By In The News

January 6 was a very sad day for our country. A mob took over the United States Capitol, inciting violence, causing loss of life, and temporarily halting the counting of the electoral votes – a ritual that speaks to the very heart of our democracy.

These destructive actions don’t reflect the ideals of our country or the good conscience of most Americans committed to creating a more perfect union. Unfortunately, Wednesday was not simply about an isolated moment but a climate in our country that can continue to sow division and disruption if we choose to not speak to it, confront the challenges we face, and most importantly, hold up the common respect and values we share as a community.

It is also a stark reminder of why Big Brothers Big Sisters exist; that it’s during our greatest challenges that young people need us most. And that they know there are positive adults and mentors they can talk to and depend on to help them navigate the uncertainties and inequities they encounter in the world.

As mentors, we can take this opportunity to talk with the young people we serve. To encourage them to know that within their world of Big Brothers Big Sisters exists a safe space, where they can honestly express themselves and ask questions about what we are living through and the impact it is having on all of us. Our Bigs provide this safe space for our Littles to process their thoughts and feelings. Our staff are available to provide resources.

How we react to this assault on our democracy can inspire our young people and encourage them to a life of meaningful public service—but it will take all of us as no one organization or one person can do this alone. We need each other more than ever to provide the vital mentoring programs that serve the most vulnerable young people and families in our communities.

Let’s stand together focused on our mentoring mission to shape new generations and inspire the best from our great country and communities for years to come.

We know we are Bigger Together.

Pam Iorio
President and CEO

Artis Stevens
Incoming President and CEO

Step Up and become a Big this National Mentoring Month

By In The News

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. 

This National Mentoring Month, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay will be highlighting our Bigs to show how mentoring amplifies change, one relationship at a time. With more than 700 youth across our eight counties waiting to be matched with a Big, the only way to ensure they have someone inspire them to reach their potential is for more adults to step up and volunteer to become Bigs. BBBS Tampa Bay asks people in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Polk, Pasco, Citrus, Hernando, Sumter, and Alachua counties to defend the potential of our youth through one-to-one mentoring relationships.

Get involved this National Mentoring Month by becoming a volunteer mentor. The first step is to attend a Virtual Big Orientation & Training. You can view the full schedule of Big Orientation & Trainings here.

Follow Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay on FacebookInstagramLinkedIn, and Twitter. Throughout the month, we encourage everyone to tag a friend who would be a great Big using the hashtag #BBBSMentoringMonth. Visit bbbstampabay.org/be-a-big to learn more.

Tampa Bay Philanthropy Week

By In The News

Tampa Bay Philanthropy Week, celebrated Monday, November 9th – Friday, November 13th, is an opportunity to celebrate philanthropists who have demonstrated innovation, resiliency, leadership, and generosity through this difficult year. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay is grateful for the support of so many volunteers, staff, and donors. We want to highlight just a few of the amazing people we have on our team to say “thank you” for their dedication to the Big Brothers Big Sisters mission throughout this difficult year.

 

Heather Castle, Director of Activities & Trainings at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay

Heather and her dog Kenzo

If you are a Big with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay, Heather is the first person you will meet. Heather trains all of our volunteers at our Big Orientation & Training sessions, so they are prepared to become mentors to youth in our community. When she’s not training our fantastic volunteers, she’s setting up and hosting match events for our Bigs & Littles to attend. Her favorite memory was when she hosted a match event with Dr. Jen Arnold from The Little Couple on TLC. “I had a Little come up to me and tell me ‘Miss Heather, I like you! I hope I can be just like you when I grow up. You make a lot of people happy, and I want to do the same.’ That seriously touched my life.”

Throughout the pandemic, Heather has remained resilient. She is more dedicated than ever to training our volunteers and keeping our matches connected. Within days of state-wide shutdowns, Heather ultimately refocused her work to train volunteers through an online Virtual Big Orientation & Training. Many Big Brothers Big Sisters organizations across the country came to watch Heather’s volunteer orientations to learn how to continue their mission virtually in their communities.

Heather has also hosted several virtual events for our matches, from movie nights and costume contests to workout classes and art demonstrations. She has found a virtual activity for everyone to enjoy, hosting three to five events each month so matches can stay connected with each other.

 

Big Sister Treena

Big Sister Treena and Little Sister La’riyah have been matched with Big Brothers Big Sisters since October of 2019. Within just a few months of being matched, they had to stop in-person visits due to COVID. But Treena did not let this stop her from staying connected with La’riyah. They have still been able to create memory books for each other, and Treena helps La’riyah with her schoolwork. Treena encourages La’riyah to pursue her passion for singing and dancing. La’riyah will often put on virtual performances for Treena.

Treena tackled the challenge of staying connected with her Little even when they could not see each other in-person. They have started going out together again, but things look a bit different with masks and social distancing, but Treena is determined to defend La’riyah’s potential.

Fifth Third Bank Giving Tree Toy Drive

Fifth Third Bank Toy Drive for BBBS

By In The News

Fifth Third Bank is partnering with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay for its annual Giving Tree Toy Drive campaign. The Giving Tree Toy Drive program will begin on November 2, 2020, and end on November 30, 2020.

Each Fifth Third financial center will host a “Giving Tree” decorated with gift tags that list the gender and age that pertains to the need of a child in the community, as well as a list of suggested gift ideas. You visit any Fifth Third Bank financial center in Pinellas County (and select locations in Hillsborough County) during November to pick up your gift tag and a list of age-appropriate gift ideas.

“Fifth Third Bank is proud to support Big Brothers Big Sisters Annual Giving Tree Toy Drive program during November,” said John Slavik, SVP, Retail Executive for Fifth Third Bank. “By allowing our financial centers to host a Giving Tree, we hope to create awareness around supporting those families in need during this holiday season.”

“Every child deserves a champion, an adult who will never give up on them and who understands the power of connection,” said Stephen Koch, CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay. “Our Fifth Third Bank partner is a champion and a connector for children throughout our service area.”

Your donation of a gift or gift card will help make a difference and ensure a brighter holiday season for the underserved youth in our community. All donations can be dropped off at one of the 17 Fifth Third Bank locations in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties that are participating in the project.

 


 

Thank you Fifth Third Bank for hosting their annual “Giving Tree Toy Drive” for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay!

 

About Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay is part of the nation’s largest donor and volunteer-supported mentoring network and holds itself accountable for children in its program to achieve measurable outcomes, such as educational success, avoidance of risky behaviors, higher aspirations, greater confidence, and better relationships. Big Brothers Big Sisters provides children facing adversity – often of a single or low-income household or families where a parent is incarcerated or serving in the military – with strong and enduring, professionally-supported one-to-one mentoring relationships that defend the potential that exists in every child. In 2019, more than 2,800 children were served in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Polk, Citrus, Hernando, Alachua, and Sumter counties. For more information please visit www.bbbstampabay.org.

About Fifth Third

Fifth Third Bancorp is a diversified financial services company headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio and the indirect parent company of Fifth Third Bank, National Association, a federally chartered institution. As of September 30, 2020, Fifth Third had $202 billion in assets and operated 1,122 full-service banking centers and 2,414 ATMs with Fifth Third branding in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Florida, Tennessee, West Virginia, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. In total, Fifth Third provides its customers with access to approximately 52,000 fee-free ATMs across the United States. Fifth Third operates four main businesses: Commercial Banking, Branch Banking, Consumer Lending and Wealth & Asset Management. Fifth Third is among the largest money managers in the Midwest and, as of September 30, 2020, had $422 billion in assets under care, of which it managed $53 billion for individuals, corporations and not-for-profit organizations through its Trust and Registered Investment Advisory businesses. Investor information and press releases can be viewed at www.53.com. Fifth Third’s common stock is traded on the Nasdaq® Global Select Market under the symbol “FITB.” Fifth Third Bank was established in 1858. Deposit and Credit products are offered by Fifth Third Bank. Member FDIC.

Skip to content
Branded by Stevie & Fern