Big Brothers Big Sisters of Broward County celebrated its 2024 Bigs of the Year – Big Brother of the Year Albert Leftwich, Big Sister of the Year Judy Frum, High School Big Brother of the Year Sebastian Fidelia, High School Big Sister of the Year Nelli Sacca, and Corporate Partner of the Year JM Family Enterprises, Inc. – and all of its volunteer Bigs at its annual Big Thank You Breakfast during National Mentoring Month.
“We are so grateful to these volunteers who offer their dedication, compassion, and unwavering support to build a brighter tomorrow for the young people we serve,” said Malena Mendez, President and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Broward County. “Our mentors are committed to being present, being a positive role model and being a friend. We are simply thrilled to honor them.”
Big Brother of the Year Albert Leftwich, a retired 40-year military veteran, became interested in becoming a Big after he saw a news story on the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Broward’s Big of the Year. He checked out the opportunity and ultimately was matched with Little Brother Abraham, a shy 7-year-old. Today, Abraham is outgoing and interacts more with those around him, thanks to Albert. Albert has introduced new activities to Abraham to help him broaden his horizons, while taking the time to learn about his interests and meeting him in the middle of new experiences and old loves. Albert supports Abraham by attending his school basketball games and enjoying the friendly competition when regularly hitting the court together. In addition to having fun, Albert provides guidance on the value of hard work and how it leads to success while also modeling that behavior, drawing from his life experiences, which include travels to iconic world sites.
Like Albert, Big Sister of the Year Judy Frum, COO of Memorial Healthcare System, has watched her Little Sister Miracle blossom over the last four years from a shy, introverted 12-year-old girl to a confident young person. Miracle and her brother were being raised by her grandmother, since her mother had significant health issues and lived in a healthcare facility. Judy was there for Miracle when her mother passed away a year-and-a-half into their match. She helped her deal with tremendous grief, which cemented their friendship for the long term. Judy and Miracle also connected as a result of their common interest in nursing. Judy, a nurse, encouraged Miracle’s interest in healthcare and spurred Miracle to ignite her potential by focusing on schoolwork and improving academically.
Because Judy and Albert were named Big Brother and Big Sister of the Year in Broward County, they are now in contention for Florida Big Brother and Big Sister of the Year.
High School Big Brother of the Year Sebastian Fidelia, 17, mentors his Little, 8-year-old Brice. Brice, a third grader at Nova Blanche Forman Elementary, was initially signed up for the school-based program because he needed a math buddy. He found a great mentor and friend in his high school Big Brother Sebastian. Brice was so shy when he met Sebastian that he barely spoke. Now his eyes light up and a big smile shines from his face when Sebastian comes to his school. He has opened up considerably and is much more social. Plus, he’s doing better in math. Big Brother Sebastian is a 12th grader at Nova High School who lives in Fort Lauderdale.
High School Big Sister of the Year Nelli Sacca, 17, became a high school mentor to Little Sister Peyton to provide her with academic and social support. 11-year-old Peyton says she and her Big Sister Nelli have the best chemistry and she’s just like a “real” big sister. Big Sister Nelli, who exudes positivity and has an optimistic nature, keeps Peyton on task prioritizing homework over playing games or watching videos. Nelli is a 12th grader at American Heritage School who lives in Plantation.
In addition to its outstanding Bigs of the Year, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Broward County also recognized Corporate Partner of the Year JM Family Enterprises, Inc. for its long-term support as a program partner and financial supporter. JM Family, an avid proponent of the agency for more than 20 years, launched Big Brothers Big Sisters of Broward’s School to Work initiative in 2017. Since then, JM Family associates have mentored more than 60 youth middle school and high school students. The School to Work program has since expanded to six corporations in Broward and has provided valuable mentoring opportunities and workplace readiness skills to hundreds of youth in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program.
In addition to launching School to Work, JM Family lent its human resources expertise to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Broward’s staff by providing training on leadership development and creating a premier corporate culture. Plus, Andy Eccher, Vice President of JM Family’s Southeast Toyota Distributors, continues to offer his expertise to the organization, having served as a board member for the last six years. JM Family also stepped up as the presenting sponsor of the 2023 Déjà Vu: Rock of Ages 50th Anniversary Celebration. In addition, many associates have participated in multiple events and initiatives including Big Brothers Big Sisters of Broward’s BigPride events, Swing for Kids Sakes’ Golf Tournament, Holiday in the Park and the Road to 3,000 mentor recruitment.
About Big Brothers Big Sisters of Broward County
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Broward County is dedicated to creating and supporting mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth. Its larger vision is for all youth to achieve their full potential. For more information, visit www.bbbsbroward.org or call (954) 584-9990.
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