Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Sun Coast

Join us on Wednesday, June 24th at 6 p.m. at Gecko's Grill & Pub for an evening of fun, prizes, drinks, and community, all benefiting Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Sun Coast.

Your $35 ticket includes:
🍻 Two complimentary drink tickets
🎲 Eight rounds of bingo
🍽️ Light appetizers
🎁 Chances to win prizes
💚 Support for local youth through mentoring

A special thank you to Regions Bank, our Presenting Sponsor, for helping make this event possible.

🎟 Tickets: $35 in advance
🔗 https://BubblesBrewsBingoforBBBSSUN.eventbrite.com
or visit: bbbssun.org/events

We are deeply grateful to the Service Club of Manatee County for their generous support and for recognizing the young people we serve across Manatee County. 💚

Yesterday, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Sun Coast accepted a $2,870 grant award on behalf of our organization. We are honored to stand alongside so many outstanding nonprofit partners committed to expanding opportunity for youth.

This generous investment will directly support healthy meals at our new mentoring center at the Wakeland Service Center, ensuring young people have access to nutritious options including lean proteins, fresh vegetables, and balanced meals that help fuel overall well-being. 🥗✨

Special thanks to Jean Gurucharri's Beautycounter, Valerie Bell, and the Service Club of Manatee County for their partnership.

We are grateful for the shared commitment to building stronger futures for children and families across our community. 💚

𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮! ⚖️

Our friends at Teen Court of Sarasota, Inc. are offering Teen Attorney Training this summer for students interested in building leadership, communication, and advocacy skills while making a difference in their community.

Participants will learn courtroom procedures, questioning techniques, professionalism, and public speaking. 𝐍𝐨 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐝.

Choose the training date that works best for your schedule and get ready to 𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 and 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬.

👉 Register here: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/bftsy546ef

Questions❓Contact ➡️ [email protected].

💚

Have you ever wanted to be a Teen Attorney or volunteer at Teen Court? This summer is your chance.

Teen Attorney Training prepares student volunteers to participate in Teen Court by learning courtroom procedures, questioning techniques, professionalism, and communication skills. No prior experience is required.

Choose the training date that works best for your schedule and get ready to build leadership skills, gain confidence, and make a difference in your community.

Register with the link in the comments and reach out to [email protected] with any questions.

“It’s not just about the game we watched. It’s about the memories we will never forget.”

⚾ Home run memories were made at the ballpark!

A BIG thank you to our friends at Tampa Bay Rays for giving our Bigs and Littles an unforgettable day together.

From cheering on the Rays to sharing laughs between innings, every moment spent together helped strengthen the relationships that make mentoring so powerful.

These shared experiences create lasting memories and meaningful connections that help young people build confidence and reach their full potential.

We're grateful to the Tampa Bay Rays for supporting our mission and helping create a day our Bigs and Littles will never forget.

💙 Because sometimes the biggest wins happen off the field.

We are pleased to welcome Nicola Duffin to the 𝐕𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐀𝐫𝐞𝐚 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐁𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝 for Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Sun Coast 💚

Nicola brings more than 37 years of 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 and 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 in the beauty and wellness industry, with an extensive background in international salon leadership, business ownership, and community engagement.

After two decades leading a highly successful Aveda Lifestyle Salon brand, Nicola retired and relocated to Wellen Park, where she remains actively engaged in service and community life. She is involved in leadership and volunteer roles at CoastLife Church Wellen Park and continues to invest her time in causes that strengthen families and community connection, including Mothers Helping Mothers.

We are excited to welcome her leadership, experience, and heart for service as we continue advancing our mission to 𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 across South Sarasota County.



💚 CoastLife Church
💚 Aveda
💚 Wellen Park Florida
💚 Mothers Helping Mothers

Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Sun Coast is proud to partner with United Way of Lee, Hendry, and Glades in strengthening our communities and creating brighter futures for local youth and families. 💚

Together, we can help ensure critical resources remain available to those who need them most. We encourage our supporters to learn more about United Way's campaign and the impact it has across our region.

👉 To make a gift or learn more, visit: UnitedWayLee.org/Donate

Today, we hosted a press conference to share an important update on our annual campaign and the growing need across the community.

We were proud to be joined by the support of community leaders, donors, partner agencies and board members who continue stepping up in meaningful ways to help ensure critical resources remain available to those who need them most.

There are a million reasons to give – and thousands of lives are depending on it. Will you be one in a million to help us close the gap?

Give today: https://www.unitedwaylee.org/donate

💚 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐓𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 💚

Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Sun Coast was honored to attend the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Sarasota and Manatee Counties Open House and Ribbon Cutting at their 𝘠𝘈𝘕𝘈 (𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘈𝘳𝘦 𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘈𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘦) 𝘞𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘋𝘳𝘰𝘱-𝘐𝘯 𝘊𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳 in Venice.

Congratulations to NAMI Sarasota and Manatee Counties on this exciting milestone and their continued commitment to providing free mental health support and resources for youth, adults, families, and caregivers throughout our region.

We were also grateful to connect with community partners, including North Port Behavioral Health and the Venice Area Chamber of Commerce. We appreciate the Chamber’s ongoing leadership in supporting local businesses and community organizations, and we are proud to partner with them.

Congratulations again to NAMI, and thank you to everyone who helped celebrate this important community resource.

🎓 𝐀 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭

Some mentorship stories don’t just span years—they span childhoods, adolescence, and into adulthood.

A graduate of Manatee High School, Zy is now preparing to continue his education at State College of Florida, Manatee–Sarasota this fall. He is also a recipient of the Florida Prepaid College Plans Scholarship, further supporting his post-secondary pathway.

A special recognition goes to his Big Sister and one of our Mentor Managers, 𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢 𝐌𝐜𝐀𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐮𝐫, whose commitment and belief in Zy have been central to his journey over the years.

Even more meaningful, his family’s connection to opportunity continues to grow, with younger siblings also benefiting from educational scholarship support.

This is what mentorship looks like 💚 This is why mentorship matters.

Florida’s nonprofits do more than serve communities — they strengthen Florida’s economy, workforce, and future. 💚

According to the Florida Nonprofit Alliance Data Dashboard, Florida nonprofits:

▪️ Employ more than 456,000 people
▪️ Generate more than $116 billion in annual revenue
▪️ Pay more than $27 billion in annual wages
▪️ Hold more than $255 billion in assets statewide

But beyond the numbers are lives changed every day.

At Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Sun Coast, mentorship is more than a program — it is workforce development, educational support, and community investment all in one.

When a child has a caring mentor:
✔️ Confidence grows
✔️ School engagement improves
✔️ Risky behaviors decrease
✔️ Futures become brighter

Nonprofits are often asked to do more with less. Yet organizations across Florida continue showing up for communities every day.

Thank you to the Florida Nonprofit Alliance for highlighting the critical role nonprofits play in Florida’s future.

🔗 Explore the Florida Nonprofit Alliance Data Dashboard here:
https://www.flnonprofits.org/data-dashboard