Big Brothers Big Sisters Of Northeast Florida Seeking Volunteers To Mentor Youth

From The JAX Chamber:

January 25, 2021

January is National Mentoring Month, and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Florida is celebrating those who are already volunteering as mentors, “Bigs”, and also recruiting volunteers. In addition to spreading awareness through social media, news outlets and virtual events, Jacksonville Transportation Authority and Florida Blue (Guidewell) have agreed to light up green.

Every January, the news is full of the same stories: people are trying to eat healthier or hit the gym more often. This year, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Florida is changing that story and asking: What if this year, you could resolve to something more important, more impactful? What if you could make a resolution worth keeping, one that inspires more resolutions? In 2021, Big Brothers Big Sisters is asking people in Northeast Florida to resolve to become a Big Brother or Big Sister.

“Bettering yourself in the New Year is a great goal,” said Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Florida CEO Sara Alford, “connecting with others and helping lift up the next generation is a great way to better one’s self and the community. This National Mentoring Month we are excited to celebrate those already engaged while also hopefully inspiring others to get involved and make goals that additionally better the community. In a year from now, when people reflect on 2021, we want to be part of making sure they know they did something to make a difference.”

More than 50 youth are waiting to be matched with a Big Brother or Big Sister, and the only way to ensure they have someone to inspire them to reach their potential is for more adults to step up and volunteer to become Bigs. Being a Big means committing to spending a few hours a month with a young person doing things that you love to do, like playing basketball, visiting the library, or learning how to cook.

Quick Facts: Jacksonville Transportation Authority and Florida Blue are proud Beyond School Walls partners 100% of youth avoided the Juvenile Justice System.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Florida services 8 counties: Duval, Clay, Nassau, Putnam, Flagler, Volusia, Baker and Union.

About Big Brothers Big Sisters

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Florida’s (BBBSNEFL) mission is to create and support one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth. Big Brothers Big Sisters operates under the belief that inherent in every child is the ability to succeed and thrive in life. By placing a caring adult in the life of a child, Big Brothers Big Sisters creates safe, high-quality, long-lasting mentoring relationships that help vulnerable youth change the odds and reach their full potential through personal and academic achievement. Professionally supported by our staff, individual road-maps for success are developed in concert with parents, children, and mentors.

We know that mentoring works! In 2019-20, 98% of youth were promoted on time to the next grade, 99% of youth had no behavioral referrals or suspensions and 98% of youth maintained or improved school attendance. The need for mentors is urgent; one in three kids will grow up without a mentor (mentor.org). It takes just a few hours a month, to expose youth to new beginnings and opportunities through mentorship. Together, we are defenders of potential. To learn more or become a mentor, visit bbbsnefl.org.

This press release was produced by The JAX Chamber. The views expressed here are the author’s own.