Big Brothers Big Sisters USF Bigs

Big Brothers Big Sisters 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. Mission Statement

Sulphur Springs  Median household income in 2009 $26,240 compared to Tampa $41,605  43% of population live below poverty level  About 40% of population has only attained a High School diploma or less  62% of population is African American compared to Tampa 26%, County 17%, FL 16%  29.6% are single mother households  24% of population are children 6-17 years of age (BBBS deals with kids ages 5-17)

 In % of students were eligible for free or reduced price lunch programs, compared to Florida’s 50% of eligible students  78% of the students are African American  The district spends $8,513 per student  62% of that spent on instruction  33% support services  5% on other elementary and secondary expenditures Sulphur Springs Elementary

 Alumni were 75% more likely than non-alumni to have received a four-year college degree (28% of alumni vs. 16% of non-alumni).  Alumni were 39% more likely than non-alumni to have current household incomes of $75,000 or higher (46% of alumni vs. 33% of non-alumni).  Adult Littles are more likely than non-alumni to be engaged in their community when it comes to volunteering (52% of alumni vs. 35% of non-alumni) BBBS

By participating in our youth mentoring programs, Little Brothers and Sisters are:  More confident in their schoolwork performance  Able to get along better with their families  46% less likely to begin using illegal drugs  27% less likely to begin using alcohol  52% less likely to skip school BBBS Community Outcomes

 85% of our Littles have shown an increase in their self- confidence  83% if our Littles trust their Bigs more than they did a year ago  77% of our Littles improved their grades in school  74% of our Littles have a better attitude about school  71% of our Littles improved their relationships with family and friends Local Outcomes

 Helping Littles develop and grow  Be a positive role model  Building a relationship  Learning experience Being a Mentor

Testimonials

Contact Information Vanessa Balazs bbsfl.org Robin R. Jones