Big Brothers Big Sisters Of Tampa Bay Inc

CREATE AND SUPPORT ONE-TO-ONE MENTORING RELATIONSHIPS THAT IGNITE THE POWER AND PROMISE OF YOUTH.

OUR AGENCY'S SINGULAR PROGRAM IS COMPREHENSIVE MENTORING. OUR MISSION IS TO PROVIDE CHILDREN FACING ADVERSITY WITH STRONG AND ENDURING, PROFESSIONALLY SUPPORTED ONE-TO-ONE RELATIONSHIPS THAT CHANGE THEIR LIVES FOR THE BETTER, FOREVER. A SIMPLE BUT POWERFUL MISSION WHICH SERVES AS THE FOUNDATION FOR WHAT WE DO. THANKS TO DEDICATED VOLUNTEERS AND GENEROUS DONORS WE'RE ABLE TO SERVE CHILDREN FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE. WITHIN OUR COMPREHENSIVE MENTORING PROGRAM, VOLUNTEERS (BIGS) AND CHILDREN (LITTLES) SPEND TIME TOGETHER EITHER IN THE COMMUNITY OR AT AN ASSIGNED SITE LOCATION. COMMUNITY BASED PARTICIPANTS MAY CHOOSE OUTINGS SUCH AS GOING FOR A WALK, WORKING ON ARTS AND CRAFTS, TAKING A BIKE RIDE, OR WATCHING A SPORTING EVENT. SITE BASED PARTICIPANTS MAY MEET WITH THEIR LITTLE BROTHER OR LITTLE SISTER ONE HOUR A WEEK AT A NEAR-BY SCHOOL AND MAY CHOOSE ACTIVITIES SUCH AS READING, GAMES, OR EVEN JUST TALKING ABOUT SCHOOL AND/OR LIFE. IN OUR SCHOOL-TO-WORK MENTORING PROGRAM, PARTNER HIGH SCHOOLS ARE MATCHED UP WITH A LOCAL BUSINESS OR GOVERNMENTAL ENTITY FOR A MINIMUM OF TWO YEARS. HIGH SCHOOL JUNIORS THE FIRST YEAR AND SENIORS THE SECOND YEAR MEET WITH THEIR ASSIGNED MENTORS AT HIS OR HER WORK PLACE FOR A HALF A DAY EACH MONTH DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR. DURING THIS TIME, YOUTH PARTICIPATING AT EACH SITE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN CAREER READINESS TRAINING SUCH AS RESUME WRITING AND JOB SHADOWING, WHILE DEVELOPING A 1:1 RELATIONSHIP WITH THEIR MENTOR. THE OVERARCHING OBJECTIVES FOR EACH OF THESE SCHOOL-TO-WORK MATCHES IS TO FORM A POSITIVE 1:1 RELATIONSHIP, HAVE THE STUDENT GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL WITH THE BEST POSSIBLE GRADES, AND DEVELOP A PLAN FOR EACH STUDENT OF WHAT HE OR SHE WILL DO UPON GRADUATION.

COVID-19 DEEPLY IMPACTED OUR AGENCY OPERATIONS THIS PAST YEAR. ALL OF OUR MENTORING SERVICES (BIG ORIENTATION & TRAININGS, INTERVIEWS, MATCH MEETINGS AND MATCH ACTIVITIES) IMMEDIATELY MOVED ONLINE BEGINNING IN MID-MARCH AT THE DIRECTION OF OUR CEO. CHILD, VOLUNTEER, FAMILY AND STAFF SAFETY WAS AND CONTINUES TO BE OUR HIGHEST CONCERN AND IT WAS IMPERATIVE FOR OUR AGENCY TO FOLLOW THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE CENTER FOR DISEASE CONTROL (CDC). BECAUSE OF THIS, WE NEEDED TO EQUIP STAFF TO WORK REMOTELY SUCCESSFULLY. HOWEVER, SOME TASKS STILL REQUIRED BEING IN THE OFFICE (E.G., FINGERPRINTING) SO STAFF HAVE BEEN PERMITTED TO COME INTO THE OFFICE ON A ROTATING BASIS. AS SUCH, WE PURCHASED HAND SANITIZER, SOAPS, DISINFECTING WIPES, FACE SHIELDS AND KN-95 MASKS FOR STAFF. IN AUGUST, COMMUNITY BASED BIG/LITTLE MATCHES AND BIG FUTURES MATCHES WERE GIVEN PERMISSION TO BEGIN MEETING IN PERSON ONCE AGAIN, SO LONG AS THEY COMPLIED WITH CDC RECOMMENDATIONS. TO THAT END, WE FELT IT WAS OF THE UTMOST IMPORTANCE TO PROVIDE ALL OUR BIG/LITTLE MATCHES HIGH QUALITY, WASHABLE, REUSABLE FACE MASK FOR WHEN THEY DO MEET IN PERSON, TO ENHANCE THEIR SAFETY. DESPITE ALL OF THE CHALLENGES THAT COVID-19 HAS BROUGHT TO OUR AGENCY AND COMMUNITY, WE KNOW THAT THE IMPACT OF MENTORING IS STILL A BRIGHT SPOT OF HOPE FOR THE YOUTH INVOLVED IN OUR PROGRAMS. WHEN OUR AGENCY PIVOTED ALL MATCH CONTACT TO VIRTUAL (SOMETHING NEVER DONE BEFORE), MOST OF OUR BIGS DID NOT SKIP A BEAT IN REACHING OUT TO THEIR LITTLES. MATCHES BEGAN TALKING OVER THE PHONE, TEXTING, USING FACETIME, AND EVEN SENDING EACH OTHER LETTERS. BECAUSE OUR VOLUNTEER BIGS ARE DEDICATED TO THEIR LITTLES NO MATTER THE CIRCUMSTANCES, WE ARE CONFIDENT THAT YOUTH IN OUR PROGRAM WILL STILL SEE MANY ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN 2020 AS A RESULT OF THESE MENTORING RELATIONSHIPS.