I lost my father at a very young age when he had a sudden heart attack and passed away in 1969, just before my first birthday. That left my mother to raise me and my older brother, who is two years older than me. After a couple years, my mother moved us to Fort Lauderdale, away from much of our immediate family, but where she felt it would be a better climate to raise two rambunctious little boys.
My brother Guy and I had the good fortune of having a very dedicated and involved mom. She ran us all over the place to play sports, surfing, and later for music competitions. We attended Floranada Elementary School in Fort Lauderdale, played Little League Baseball and swam on the local AAU team.
She was smart and engaged, and over time realized that her boys might need the extra support of having a male role model in their lives. She sought to fill the void left by the loss of our father by reaching out to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Broward County. When I was 11 and my brother was 13, we both became Little Brothers.
My family is the perfect example of the families served by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Broward County. Kids often need an additional, positive adult in their lives to help them thrive and reach forward to grasp their true potential. Big Brother and Big Sister mentors do exactly that. They establish strong relationships with their Littles and empower them to achieve to their fullest.
When I consider my experience as a Little Brother, I have to admit it’s a little hazy given that it was 45 years ago. But here is what I remember well. We went bowling. We went to the movies (Star Wars). We went to a baseball game at Fort Lauderdale Yankee stadium. We had a great time at the Big Brothers Big Sisters’ annual Christmas party. I also remember my Big had a super cool car, a Mercedes SL convertible, and drove with the top down. It was all just regular stuff. We had fun together and became friends.
But here’s the thing. In the midst of the fun, I learned something really important from my Big Brother. He impressed upon me the importance of hard work and saving money, which has been foundational to my success. I also learned these two key points from my grandfather and uncle, who were both very involved with my life, although they didn’t live locally. They were still back in Massachusetts at the time.
What I learned from having a strong family life, even without a father, is that mentors like Big Brothers make a big difference in the development of good citizens and strong young people. I am forever grateful for the time I spent with my Big. I appreciate even more that there are kids today who didn’t benefit from a strong family unit like I did who can thrive with the mentorship of a Big Brother or Big Sister. A good mentor can change a young person’s life for the long term.
In fact, mentoring by a Big Brother or Big Sister has been proven to show positive effects on children’s lives. In an 8-year investigation by Public/Private Ventures, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America found that Littles were 46 percent less likely to start using drugs and 27 percent less likely to start using alcohol. Harris Interactive conducted a survey of alumni Littles from across the nation and found that among those former Littles, 90% said their relationship with their Big helped them make better choices throughout their childhood; 86% said their relationship with their Big has helped them make better choices throughout their adult life; and 76% said they learned right from wrong from their Big.
That’s what I call impact.
Unfortunately, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Broward County consistently faces a shortage of adults willing to become mentors. As the agency works hard to get the word out about the need for Bigs and the life-changing services it offers to kids in need, more community-minded adults sign up as Bigs. At the same time, more moms reach out for their children to be matched with a Big mentor. While there’s always more demand than supply, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Broward is committed to matching all children in need with a mentor. The work does not stop.
September is Big Brothers Big Sisters of Broward Month. This is the perfect time for you to help a child find his or her maximum potential by becoming a Big.
You never know, the child you mentor might be a future State Representative. If it can happen to me, with good mentoring, hard work and perseverance, it can happen to anyone.
###
Chip LaMarca, a Lighthouse Point resident, has served as a member of the Florida House of Representatives since 2018. Big Brothers Big Sisters is dedicated to igniting the power and promise of youth through mentoring relationships. For more information about becoming a Big, call Big Brothers Big Sisters of Broward County at (954) 584-9990 or visit www.bbbsbroward.org/what-to-expect-bigs.
