Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Florida

By Blake Howerton

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Florida (BBBBSNWFL) has been the area’s leader in one-to-one mentoring for 32 years by serving children ages 5 and beyond. Our mission is to create and support one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth. Last year, BBBSNWFL served 511 children from Pensacola to Panama City. BBBSNWFL has operated under the belief that inherent in every child is the ability to succeed and thrive in life. As the nation’s largest donor and volunteer-supported mentoring network, Big Brothers Big Sisters makes meaningful, monitored matches between adult volunteers and children, developing positive relationships that have a direct and lasting effect on the lives of young people.

Last year, BBBSNWFL established a community board in its Okaloosa and Walton Counties. The board consists of six dedicated individuals who have been spreading the mission and vision of BBBSNWFL over Okaloosa and Walton Counties.

“We recognize the incredible impact that one positive, consistent, and caring role-model can make in a young person’s life if given the opportunity at the right times,” says Community Board Member Chair Rique Gwin. “We have analyzed the balance in our community and feel that our priority must be in recruiting adults who are willing to meet this need. This will require personal recruitment, publicity efforts, and building ties with community organizations that have interest in youth development.” 

BBBSNWFL is facing a critical need for mentors across Northwest Florida. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the number of new Big Brothers and Big Sisters has dropped significantly, and the number of children placed on the waitlist has kept growing. Northwest Florida youth are faced with new challenges such as changing family structures, homelessness, bullying, mental health stressors, and low self-esteem that create greater need for positive role models in their lives. A Big Brother or Big Sister does just that for the children who need it the most.

“One in three children will grow up without a mentor,” says President & CEO of BBBSNWFL Paula Shell. “That’s over 56,000 kids in Northwest Florida who will not have that consistent person in their life and 16,000 kids in Okaloosa and Walton Counties alone.”

A common misunderstanding is that becoming a Big Brother or Big Sister is a time constraint and big commitment. BBBSNWFL requires that Bigs have weekly contact with their Little, at a minimum of two times in person per month. Bigs do not have to give up their time to be with their Little, rather, they can share their time with their Little. Big Brothers and Big Sisters currently in the program take their Little with them to engage in everyday activities, such as shopping, playing basketball, or visiting the library.

Anyone interested in becoming a Big Brother or Big Sister can call 850-433-KIDS or by visiting bbbsnwfl.org.