Match Stories

Meet Little Brother Jacory and Big Sister Jaclyn, who have been matched in our Community Based Mentoring Program since 2017! Jacory’s aunt signed him up for the program as she wanted him to have a stable and consistent role model. This match has built such a strong bond and continues to flourish! Over the years, Little J and Big J have had important discussions and lessons about responsibilities. (Most notably, they worked on taking care of a fish together.) Big J and Little J practice showing perspective, exercising patience, and learning how to identify feelings. If you were to ask Jacory what his favorite moment with his Big is, he wouldn’t be able to choose just one memory.

Jaclyn continues to remind her Little of the importance of making goals, so together they will continue tracking their goal progress, practicing mindfulness, and performing well in school (both socially and academically.) They love to explore the outdoors, participate in yoga in the woods, and walk along Tampa Bay’s beautiful beaches.

Out of the 2,124 matches we served in 2021, approximately 121 were matches comprised of a Big Sister and a Little Brother. This number moves up to 125 matches if we include Big Sisters who are matched with males and youth who identify as non-binary, genderqueer, or gender fluid. While we love our caring Big Sisters who step up to volunteer as a mentor for a Little Brother, we will always welcome more Big Brothers! However, our agency will match boys 10 years of age and younger with Big Sisters if the parent/guardian is open to a cross-gender match.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay is proud to serve more than 2,400 youth in 9 counties across the greater Tampa Bay area and beyond. Join us as a defender of potential by becoming a mentor, or what we call a Big. It just takes 4-8 hours a month —  it’s about the time you spend, not the money.  Click here to see the virtual orientation schedule.

We are honored to welcome new Board Member (and longtime Big Sister) Abigail StClair! Abigail is an avid library advocate & enthusiast and has been matched with Kaylanie since 2017. Always a voracious reader, Abigail loved visiting the local library as a child and believes that libraries hold an essential place in every community, now more than ever. Thankfully, the breadth of services has expanded to match the unique needs of our ever-growing community. Here are her recommendations for making the best use of your library. You can grab a book and a seat, getting lost in a new page-turning adventure. Feeling a bit peckish? Take a cooking class! Borrow a book….or a science kit. Peruse the options listed by county:

Alachua County has some excellent and educational STEM kits that can be sent to your door.

The Coastal Region branch of Citrus County has a Nintendo Switch! MarioKart, anyone?

Hernando County has a wide array of music to discover, from underground artists to old favorites.

The Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative offers GoPro checkout if your Little is an aspiring director.

In Marion County, you and your Little can create art from a stone.

Pasco County Libraries offers Makerspaces as a launching pad to explore, learn, design, and experiment.

Pinellas Public Library Cooperative shares museum passes to gain access to Dunedin History Museum, Florida Holocaust Museum, Imagine Museum, The James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art, Leepa Rattner Museum of Art, Museum and the Tampa Bay History Center, and others.

Polk County Library Cooperative offers a great selection of e-reading options for kids.

Sumter County has a childrens’ catalog that efficiently offers book selections based on topic.

Big Brothers Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay is proud to serve more than 2,400 youth in 9 counties across the greater Tampa Bay area and beyond. Join us as a defender of potential by becoming a mentor, or Big. It just takes 4-8 hours a month — consistency is key.  Click here to see the virtual orientation schedule.

Today, we are sharing the story of Big Andrew and Little Tyler. This Match celebrated its 7th Match Anniversary in September 2021! Andrew and Tyler are a great match and have enjoyed their time together. They started in the Site Based program at Mango Elementary and decided to move to the Community Based program about four years ago. This Match has sustained a very close bond despite Big Andrew moving out of the county. The guys typically get together once a month or once every other month, and when they do, they spend the entire day together. Recently, they went to a Bucs game, a Rays game, and out to eat. Tyler has recently gotten to try Greek food and Thai food and thoroughly enjoyed it!

Tyler doesn’t always like talking on the phone, so Andrew made a point to keep Tyler engaged in text messaging. Because of this, the Match maintained their relationship throughout the pandemic when they could not meet in person. Nowadays, any time they go on an outing, it’s like no time has passed at all.

Big Brothers Big Sisters is incredibly proud of this Match and how far they have come together. Tyler was shy and lacked confidence when this Match started together. He was not interested in school and just did what he needed to do to pass. Andrew has inspired Tyler to work hard and take pride in his work. Tyler indeed looked up to Andrew and was very proud of Andrew when his Big Brother took on the challenge of starting his law practice. As Tyler has grown up, he has become more focused, determined, and confident.

When the Match Support Specialist speaks with Andrew, they can hear the smile come through the phone! Andrew is proud of how far Tyler has arrived and is happy to know that Tyler is taking his future seriously now and working hard to plan. Andrew recently shared, “I feel like I am the Little Brother now!”

Tyler used only to give short replies to his Match Support Specialist. Now, he shares his life and Match updates for 30-45 minutes! Tyler is currently a junior in high school and has continuously set and tracked his plans and goals for the future. Tyler is highly interested in video game design and hopes to pursue that after he graduates high school. We’re excited to see what the future holds for him!

Big Sister Juanita and Little Sister Hailey have been matched since November of 2020, but when around these two, you would’ve thought they’d known each other for years! The connection between them has been influential and positive for both from the beginning.

Hailey and Juanita enjoy doing various activities together, ranging from roller skating to swimming and much more! One of their most memorable outings together was when they went to Target and bought pink wigs to wear. After purchasing the wigs, the two walked around Target sporting their new matching hairdos. They made music videos while wearing their pink wigs and recorded them for fun.

When they’re not sporting pink wigs, Juanita and Hailey spend time focusing on Hailey’s academics. One of Hailey’s goals is to improve her reading, and Juanita thought it might help to give Hailey a journal to write about her day, then Juanita will write back for Hailey to read. Hailey loves to read the letters from her Big Sister and has improved her reading skills.

Recently, Hailey’s mother passed away, and this was a challenging time for her and her family. Hailey’s Big Sister Juanita was one of the first people she called when it happened. Hailey’s father said it was a tremendous help to have Juanita involved in Hailey’s life to support her through the loss of her mother. He is grateful that Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay brought such a positive influence into Hailey’s life.

Hailey is truly on her way to reaching her fullest potential with support from her Big Sister, Juanita. Want to be a shoulder to lean on for a kid in our community? Become a mentor or Big, and you can help a child like Hailey reach their full potential with just a few hours of your time each month.

Big Lisa and Little Robin reached their fourth match anniversary this August! Since the beginning of their match, Lisa has supported Robin in her school work. Lisa even gave Robin a few pointers to help her stay organized and improve her grades, especially math. Lisa helped Robin transition to high school last year, empowering Robin to feel confident in her potential to succeed. Robin finished the school year with all A’s and B’s in her classes and even made it on the honor roll! Robin is excited to graduate from high school in a few years and feels she will most likely attend college in the future.

Robin feels that Lisa is a positive role model in her life. Not only does Robin enjoy spending time with her Big, but she also feels very close to Lisa. When not hitting the books, these two enjoy watching movies at the theatre, going out to eat, and attending outings hosted by Big Brothers Big Sisters. During the pandemic, Lisa and Robin didn’t miss a beat. They stayed in touch via phone calls and texts so their friendship could continue to grow until they could see each other in person again.

As Robin continues to attain her goals and reach her fullest potential, there is no doubt that Lisa will be there to support her!

Defend the potential of youth in our community by supporting our one-to-one mentoring programs. Make a donation or volunteer as a mentor today!

Meet Big Couple Mark and Craig with their Little Brother Calub. Despite only being matched since November 2020, these three have made so many great memories! When they first met, Calub didn’t know how to swim, so they decided to make this a goal they could work on together. Calub has already gained a lot of confidence in and around the water, jumping boldly into the pool.

When Mark and Craig pick up Calub for their outings, Calub climbs in their car and starts singing songs. Since they met in November, it started with Christmas songs, but Calub also likes to sing country music. The radio doesn’t even have to be on for Calub to start singing, and the Big Couple will join in when they hear a familiar tune.

Mark and Craig feel it is essential to start talking about college so that Calub knows he can achieve his goals, but when asked what he wants to be when he grows up, Calub says he wants to be Santa Claus!

Mark and Craig see Calub usually every other week, although if it were up to Calub, they would be getting together every week. Through their consistency and being paired so well, Mark, Craig, and Calub have many exciting adventures ahead!

Big Brother Frank and Little Brother Anthony have been matched for over three years, since July of 2018.

After Frank and Anthony met, Anthony moved into a foster home. But no matter what happens in Anthony’s life, his Big Brother Frank has always been there for him. Before COVID, they would see each other consistently at least twice a month. They would attend BBBS match events, such as fishing clinics and pumpkin carvings, plus bowling and putt-putt golf. When they had to put a pause on in-person activities, Frank continued to call Anthony every week. Frank wanted Anthony to know that his Big Brother would always be there for him.

Frank has found creative ways to keep Anthony engaged over the phone with science experiments and writing short stories. Anthony was so excited to share these fun activities with his Match Support Specialist and even gave them step-by-step directions for the experiment. Lately, the two have gotten back into writing short stories with their most recent short story called “Living Tacos.” Anthony dictated the five-page story over several phone calls, and Frank helped him by typing it up.

The story is about a magic chef who creates living tacos that get kidnapped and taken to the moon by an evil wizard. But the magic chef makes another special living taco named David and sends him to the moon to rescue the others! In the end, David the special taco realized “a great truth, that evil cannot defeat evil. Only love can defeat evil!”

Frank’s relationship with Anthony has empowered Anthony to remain resilient despite the challenges he has faced. Anthony knows his Big Brother will always be a consistent friend, no matter what. Frank was excited to get vaccinated so that he and Anthony could plan their first outing in over a year. Both are excited to see each other again because no matter what they do together, these two always manage to have fun!

Anthony is truly on his way to reaching his fullest potential with support from his Big Brother Frank. Want to be a shoulder to lean on for a kid in our community? Become a mentor or Big, and you can help a child like Anthony reach their full potential with just a few hours of your time each month.

Meet Little Bianca & Big Alyssa! They have been matched for five years in our Community-Based program. They have tried so many neat things together, like exploring local Asian markets, painting rocks at the beach, and taking a trip to the aquarium. Although the past year presented challenges, as it has for all of us, Bianca and Alyssa found ways to stay connected virtually by talking on the phone or playing virtual games together.

Lasts school year, Bianca was being picked on at school. Bianca was unsure what to do, so she went to her Big Alyssa, who provided words of encouragement to her Little and continued to check in with her. This school year, Bianca has been working hard in her classes while navigating her first year of high school and doing online courses. Bianca is glad to have her Big to help her navigate life’s challenges.

Bianca thinks her Big Alyssa is friendly, kind, and fun. Bianca says that her Big is very creative, and she is always happy when they are together. Because Bianca and Alyssa have been matched since Bianca was five or six years old, Alyssa says it has been a great privilege to watch her Little Bianca grow so much over the years.

Do you want to help a child in our community reach their full potential? Find out how you can become a Big by attending a Big Orientation & Training session.