Match Stories

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.

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.