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.

 

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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.

There are thousands of children across Florida in need of a mentor. But being a volunteer mentor and role model is only one of the ways to support Big Brothers Big Sisters.

You can also purchase one of our license plates at your local tax collector’s office. For each plate sold, Big Brothers Big Sisters receives $25 to help kids across Florida develop a firm foundation for a Big Life.

Already have your BBBS specialty plate? Show us how you are #Driving4Potential by sharing a photo on social media!

From Oct 1, 2020 – Sept 30, 2021, Lids is partnering with Big Brothers Big Sisters to carry limed-edition, custom embroidery headwear to support mentors for kids that are in need of supportive adult relationships. 

Customers can visit any Lids store with a Custom Lids and choose from approved designs to be embroidered on all headwear, including blank, branded, or team caps. $7 of the purchase per embroidered BBBS hat will go directly to the Big Brothers Big Sisters mission. 

The designs’ proceeds will help recruit Bigs (mentors) and provide on-going support and training to ensure a successful Big/Little relationship.

“What a wonderful way to increase awareness about our mentoring program by partnering with Lids,” said Pam Iorio, President and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. “We know our Littles need additional support during these challenging times, and we appreciate the opportunity to work with corporate partners, like Lids, who can share the message, that mentoring has not stopped, and more volunteers are needed to keep kids connected.“

Visit a store below to get your custom BBBS Lids headwear!

 

Westfield Brandon	Brandon	FL	33511
Westfield Countryside	Clearwater	FL	33761
The Oaks Mall	Gainesville	FL	32605
Lakeland Square Mall	Lakeland	FL	33809
Tampa Premium Outlets	Lutz	FL	33559
Johns Pass Village	Madeira Beach	FL	33708
Paddock Mall	Ocala	FL	34474
Tyrone Square	St. Petersburg	FL	33710
University Mall	Tampa	FL	33612
Citrus Park Town Center	Tampa	FL	33625
Westshore Plaza	Tampa	FL	33609

You may have read about the CARES Act, which provides financial support to businesses and families impacted by COVID-19. The CARES Act has a provision for donors like you, who want to know how they can help during these unpredictable times.

Our need for services has grown as the children and families served by Big Brothers Big Sisters face increased anxiety and stress due to the pandemic. Your investment in one-to-one mentoring relationships is more critical than ever to help build resilience among youth in our community.

Here’s what the CARES Act $300 ‘nonitemizer’ deduction for 2020 means for you: 

• It went into full effect beginning Friday, March 27, and will apply to donations made for all of 2020.
• This applies to you if you do not itemize your taxes.
• If you do itemize your taxes, you are eligible for a charitable deduction at 100% of your adjusted gross income.
• This only applies to cash donations (not in-kind contributions)
• This does not apply to Donor Advised Funds

Please consider making a much-needed donation of $300 (or more) today. You can easily donate online or mail a check to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay, 4630 Woodland Corporate Boulevard #160 Tampa, FL 33614

This September, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay is celebrating Big Brothers Big Sisters Month to recognizes the critical importance of mentoring.

Most children and families served by Big Brothers Big Sisters are facing increased anxiety and stress 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.

Together, we can ignite the power and promise of youth across our community because we are #BiggerTogether. Join us to celebrate Big Brothers Big Sisters Month by sharing the message of what it means to be #BiggerTogether on social media with #BBBSMonth.

Volunteer or donate to support mentoring for young people.

The work that we do at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay improves lives and helps build bridges and better understanding among different groups in the communities we serve. Part of building that understanding is helping our children process their feelings in the wake of injustice, such as the recent killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery. Many children are feeling anxious, confused, or scared and have questions about what is happening across our nation 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 has taken the time to collect some resources for our Bigs, Littles, and families to have open discussions about racism, diversity, and social justice.

 

• 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 marks an important 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.

 

• USA Today – George Floyd. Ahmaud Arbery. Breonna Taylor. What do we tell our children?: Should we tell the children? How? Those are among the many questions parents are asking after the deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor. Many white parents wonder whether to talk with their kids at all, while parents of color swallow their grief and fear to have “the talk” once again.

 

• 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 gate keeping as a mechanism for perpetuating racism.

 

• Academics for Black Survival and Wellness: Academics for Black Survival and Wellness was organized by a group of Black counseling psychologists and their colleagues who practice Black allyship. Guided by a Black feminist frame, we hope to foster accountability and growth for non-Black people and enhance healing and wellness for Black people.

 

• GirlTrek – Black History Bootcamp: Over the next month, we will walk through Black history together celebrating our powerful foremothers each day. They blazed a trail for us.

 

• Justice in June: Over the course of the month, you will have spent 5 hours intentionally learning how to be an active ally of the black community. (That’s less than the amount of time it takes to watch all of Tiger King ~ 5.5 hours.) Remember, the black community lives the reality of the information you will learn- they have a lifetime of fearing for their well being versus 5 hours of you being uncomfortable. All the action items listed in the calendar have linked information below the weekly schedule (see sections Watch, Read, Listen, and Act).

 

• Discussing Community Trauma in Response to Killings and Mistreatment of Black and Brown Americans

 

• 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 underrepresented and oppressed groups.

 

• 15 Kid-Friendly Movies to Help Build a Conversation About Race and Racism: Although it can be a difficult, talking to your children about race, racism, and prejudice early (and often) is essential, particularly for parents of non Black children. The fact is children start to learn racial bias — the attitudes and stereotypes towards racial groups — at an early age. According the American Academy of Pediatrics, a 6-month-old’s brain can notice race-based differences; a 2- to 4-year-old can internalize racial biases. The best way to combat these thoughts is to talk to your kids about race and racism. Of course, that isn’t easy and utilizing tools that speak on their level can help, including kid-friendly movies about race and racism. Some of the best films about blackness are a little too violent and explicit for younger viewers. But that doesn’t mean your child is too young to watch any movies that revolve around race. If you want to start a dialogue about racial prejudice and don’t know where to start, then these 15 family-friendly movies about race may just help you out.

 

• 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, PhD, 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.

 

Books

• Adult Books
  • How To Be An Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
  • White Fragility by Robin Di Angelo
  • Me and White Supremacy by Layla F Saad 
  • Race Talk and the Conspiracy of Silence by Derald Wing Sue 
  • The Inner Work of Racial Justice by Rhonda V Magee 
  • Stamped from the Beginning by Ibram X Kendi 
  • Radical Dharma by Jasmine Syedullah, Lama Rod Owens, Angel Kyodo Williams 
• Young Adult Books
  • You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson
  • Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Ibram X. Kendi and Jason Reynolds
• Children’s Books
  • We’re Different, We’re the Same and We’re Wonderful by Bobbi Kates
  • AntiRacist Baby by Ibram X. Kendi
  • A is for Activist by Innosanto Nagara
  • Social Justice Books for Kids
• Master List of Black Revolutionary Readings

I wanted to share with you the message that Pam Iorio sent out, in response to the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis last week. This was a death that should never have happened, and the fact that it did caused me deep sadness and an even deeper resolve to work so that such incidents never happen again.

Perhaps the coronavirus has gotten us too accustomed to unnecessary deaths….I sure hope that is not the case because every life is so important.  George Floyd’s life was important.

I am writing this note because this issue is so important.  Racism for too many is still a very real thing that can lead to not only fear,  harassment, and discrimination but in many cases,  death.

No one should have to live in fear of being beaten up or killed when they leave their home in the morning to go for a jog,  to drive to the grocery store, to visit family or friends, or to do any of a myriad of everyday activities.  For too many across our nation,  that fear is very real, and it is something so real black,  brown and other parents feel compelled to warn their children about it.

I firmly believe with all my heart,  that the work that each of us does each day at Big Brothers Big Sisters can help improve lives,  can help build more bridges and better understanding between different groups in the communities we serve, can help prevent incidents like this from occurring in the future and most of all,  help beat back the evils of racism.

I know and admire so many from our local law enforcement community that share these commitments as evidenced by the work they do to improve lives every day and voluntarily participate in programs like our ‘Bigs in Blue’ Mentoring Program.  They are overall true allies in this effort.

However, while true progress has indeed been made on this issue with many people over the years, clearly and obviously much, much more still needs to be done across our great country.

As CEO of one of the largest Big Brothers Big Sisters agencies in the nation,  one of the legacies I will work to leave is significant,  sustainable progress on these goals.

I ask for all of your help and support because it’s important.

It’s really important…..not just today,  but for a year from today,  and three years from today….it will always be important.

Collectively we can achieve so much through the systems and networks we have set up and through the work, we know how to do already.  Let’s leverage and build on that.

Let’s get at it.

 

Stephen A. Koch
President & CEO
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay

Pride Month is an annual month-long observance of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) history, and the history of the gay rights and related civil rights movements. It is celebrated in June to commemorate the Stonewall uprisings in June of 1969. The Stonewall Inn in Manhattan, NY was the site of riots and demonstrations by members of the gay community against a police raid. This sparked the beginning of a movement to change discriminatory laws and practices against LGBTQ Americans.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay is committed to ensuring its programs are inclusive to all youth and volunteers. Equality, diversity, and inclusiveness are critical components of our mission. We encourage volunteers of all sexual orientations, races, colors, religions, genders, gender identities, gender expressions, ages, national origins, disabilities, marital status, or military status to get involved and become a defender of potential in our community.

Show your support for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay during Pride Month by sharing your experience or wearing your pride shirt on social media and use the hashtag #BigPride!

Together, let’s clear a path to a child’s biggest possible future.

Become a Big

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