Match Stories

Big Brother Paul has been mentoring Little Cameron since May 2016. Recently, Paul took Cameron to the DMV for his driving test. Cameron was excited but nervous about the test, so he was glad to have his Big with him for support. Luckily, Cameron had been practicing and quickly passed the driving exam.

After the test, Paul helped Cameron buy a new car! Cameron was so excited to get his own set of wheels. Cameron’s mom gave him a budget, and Paul was there to help guide him through the experience and provide him with advice on how to pick the right car.

“I must admit that I got a little misty-eyed both times (out of sight, of course) because these are such amazing milestone moments in any young person’s life. And I feel so amazingly blessed to share them with the best Little Brother in the world,” said Paul.

Over the years, Cameron and Paul have had so many exciting outings, from visiting the zoo and ice skating to horseback riding and yoga. Small moments and time spent together have made their connection as Big & Little a strong one.

“To say I am grateful to BBBS for pairing us is an understatement. This has been an amazing journey and one that I am so blessed to be a part of. The memories that me and Cameron make I will certainly cherish for the rest of my life. I am a huge believer in BBBS. And the impact it has not only on the lives of little. But it can and does have a profound impact on the bigs like myself,” said Paul.

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

Just over a year after Little William and Big John were matched through Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay, William’s home had been condemned by the city and torn down. William and his mother, Jennifer, had decided to move in with a friend in a small home. William’s Big John knew he could do more to help William and Jennifer get a home of their own.

John helped William’s mother get started on an application with Citrus County Habitat for Humanity. John and his wife, Dawn, spent 250 hours and a full year helping William and Jennifer navigate the process and collect all of the necessary paperwork. John even asked his company to donate furniture for William and Jennifer’s new home.

When the day finally came for William and Jennifer to get the keys to their new Habitat for Humanity home, William’s Big John was there to show his support. William and Jennifer have been in their Habitat home for almost three years now.

Although Big John had to leave the Big Brothers Big Sisters program recently when he moved out of state, he has certainly impacted his Little’s life in the 3.5 years they were matched. William said, “I’ll miss him, but he said he’d call me and maybe come visit Florida.”

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.

Little Sister Jacqueline & Big Sister Yemi have been matched for over four years. Jacqueline has many siblings and cousins in her family and wanted a mentor who would spend one-on-one time exposing her to new activities and challenging her in her academics. Jacqueline was very quiet at first, but now she voices her opinion and speaks up for herself. She has also continued to improve her grades at school. Big Brothers Big Sisters has not only been an experience for Jacqueline but Yemi as well. Yemi was born in Nigeria and has also been able to try new activities alongside Jacqueline. Since they both were enjoying new experiences together, it helped Jacqueline feel comfortable in new settings. Jacqueline learned that she does not have to be perfect at everything. Jacqueline always shares how much fun she has with Yemi. Jacqueline hopes that she and Yemi will remain friends forever!

Little Kenya and Big Flo have been matched since February of 2016. They started as a Site-Based match at a local school. When Kenya was suddenly transferred to a different school, Flo and their Match Support Specialist got permission for the match to continue at Kenya’s new school. Flo traveled almost an hour each week to continue her visits with Kenya. And when Flo was traveling abroad for work, she made sure to call Kenya on Saturdays and check-in with Kenya’s mom frequently.

When Flo’s work schedule changed in 2018, she couldn’t continue seeing Kenya during the week. Still, Flo felt that since the match had been together for a long time already, they were ready to transition to the Community-Based program. And Kenya’s mom agreed. Kenya’s Match Support Specialist met her at school to talk about going from Site-Based to Community-Based, and Kenya was so thrilled. “I remember how big her eyes got with excitement!”

Kenya and Flo have been taking full advantage of all the events BBBS offers for our Community-Based program. They have visited our partners at the YMCA several times, where Kenya got to work on her swimming skills. They’ve participated in The Night of Confidence Building with Reach Services and Pinellas Community Church, shopped for Christmas gifts for Kenya’s family thanks to TQL, attended the annual Holiday Skating Party, and much more. The photo above is from the Mike Alstott Football and Cheerleading camp.

They have continued to stay in touch throughout the pandemic by calling and texting each other every Saturday. Kenya has felt overwhelmed at times but always keeps a smile on her face. Her strength and optimism come from the influence of her wonderful Big Sister, Flo.

Big Couple Jonathan & Joyce, and their Little, Emanuel (Mani), have been matched for a year and have been going strong from the moment they met each other!

The three have done various activities together from going to the park, biking, visiting downtown Tampa, museums, and many more fun outings. Jonathan & Joyce set out to be positive role models for Mani and ignite his potential to achieve big goals. Since Mani met his Bigs, he has shown great improvements in his grades.

Mani always tells his Match Support Specialist, Jasmine, “ I have the best Bigs, and I’m lucky enough to have two!”. Mani’s mom is thankful that Jonathan & Joyce consistently there for Mani.

Although the pandemic has made it hard for the match to keep their normal routine, the Big Couple still made efforts to check in on Mani through phone calls and video chats. They have also gone on socially-distanced bike rides and practiced math flashcards from a safe distance. They are all glad to have one another to talk to and lean on during these uncertain times.

Big Brother Trever and Little Brother Gavin have been matched for over two and a half years. Trever joined Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay because he wanted to volunteer as a mentor to a child and teach them the importance of working hard and being responsible. Gavin was enrolled in the program at the beginning of 3rd grade because his mom wanted him to have a positive male influence in his life. She was looking for someone who could teach Gavin life skills, the importance of school, help him with his reading, and instill the value of saving and spending money wisely. Gavin was funny, polite, and talkative, and wanted a Big Brother because on occasion he “got lonely.”

On their first outing, Trever was already incorporating reading into their time together. They went out to eat and Trever helped Gavin read some new things on the menu. Trever talked about wanting to teach Gavin how to be a gentleman, work hard, and do basic “handyman” skills that “a kid learns while being around men.” By the middle of his 3rd-grade year, Gavin was still struggling with his reading and the school was not providing the individualized help he needed to succeed. Gavin’s confidence was dropping because he wasn’t able to read as quickly as the other kids. He had switched schools and was beginning to get into trouble. Despite Gavin’s struggles at school, Trever continued to consistently spend time with Gavin, talking about situations at school, bringing him to the motorcycle shop he owned, teaching him what it took to become a business owner, and showing that hard work and dedication can go a long way.

Within the first year of their match, Gavin had moved and changed schools twice, and Trever had a new baby, but their relationship continued to grow. Gavin had improved in school and both his mother and Big Brother noticed a lot of changes in Gavin’s growth and maturity. Regardless of the number of changes for Gavin in a short time, Trever never complained and remained consistent. A few months later the family moved again, but this time they moved nearly 1 hour away from Trever. Even with the distance, Trever was determined to remain in Gavin’s life and made the adjustment. He spent once a month with Gavin for all-day outings and made sure to keep in touch with Gavin and his mom over the phone in-between visits. Trever even introduced Gavin to his new baby!

Recently, Gavin started his 5th-grade year and made the decision that he wanted to “do better this year and dress nicer.” Gavin’s mom reported that Trever has had a number of conversations with Gavin about being responsible and suggested things he can do to help out his mom around the house. Gavin began doing his laundry and even cooked dinner for his mom! As they celebrated their 2 years match anniversary, Trever talked about what a good kid Gavin is and that he feels very lucky to be matched with him. They continue to grow their friendship and Trever teaches Gavin that even through life changes and distance, friendship doesn’t have to change.

Learn how to become a Big at bbbstampabay.org/be-a-big/ 

Big Brother Michael has been matched with his Little Brother Jonah for over seven years. At first, Jonah was a very quiet kid and struggled with self-esteem issues. Michael is a Physical Education teacher and helped to instill more confidence in Jonah by involving him in sports – in particular, basketball.  Throughout their match, they have met regularly, at least twice a month, and would go to parks to play sports, go to sporting events, or attend BBBS events.

A few years into their match Jonah was bullied at his school and Michael decided to talk with the principal of the private school where he teaches to see if he could get a scholarship for Jonah to attend.  Michael’s perseverance in making this happen worked and the principal agreed to a scholarship so Jonah could attend the private school. Jonah remained at that school for two years and thrived. During that time Michael drove Jonah to and from school with him on his way to work, while still going on outings with him every other weekend.

At the new school, Jonah’s grades increased and his self-confidence did too.  By eighth grade, Michael and Jonah’s grandmother and aunt encouraged him to apply to an advanced technology magnet program at a local high school and Jonah was accepted!  But things were tough that first year, and though Michael worked on school projects with Jonah, and his grandmother got him tutoring, he was dropped from the magnet program. This was devastating for Jonah, who wants to be an engineer when he grows up, but also a good learning experience.  Michael continued to encourage Jonah to still keep doing his best, and Jonah has remained at the high school where he takes higher-level classes now as a 10^th grader.

Michael and Jonah continue to get out regularly, where their outings usually gravitate to going to the YMCA most Saturdays to work out (Jonah’s choice) and then shoot some hoops afterward.  Michael still continues to help Jonah with school projects periodically, but they do other fun things like the movies. They even attended Jonah’s friend’s Bar mitzvah, when Jonah asked if Michael would take him!  Their Match Support Specialist recently asked Jonah to tell her something that his Big Brother has taught him, and he said: “He’s taught me to always stand up for myself, and if people talk mean, just take it and know that they’re jealous and this makes you stronger as a person.”

Learn how to become a Big at bbbstampabay.org/be-a-big/