BBBS OF CENTRAL TEXAS HONORED WITH 2020 BBBS OF AMERICA QUALITY AWARD

The agency is recognized for outstanding leadership in providing mentoring programming for local youth.

 Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas is proud to be recognized as a 2020 Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (BBBSA) Quality Award Winner. Every year, the BBBSA Nationwide Leadership Council, made up of local Big Brothers Big Sisters agency leaders and board members, selects and recognizes agencies for excellence. Despite the challenges of the past year, including the pandemic, social unrest, and economic uncertainty, 49 out of the 236 Big Brothers Big Sisters agencies across the country received top honors in quality.

“I am so proud of our board, staff, and supporters for making quality programming a priority for local children,” said Brent Fields, CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas. “Their hard work equates to more mentorship in our community, and brighter futures for area youth.”

Big Brothers Big Sisters was founded more than 100 years ago as an organization focused on justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. It grew out of a need to offer an alternative path for youth entering the juvenile justice system. The program is based on in-person connections, but social distancing due to the pandemic prompted agencies to find innovative ways for volunteer mentors (‘Bigs’) to stay connected with their mentees (‘Littles’). Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas served 819 youth last year. Staff provided support and coaching using a virtual model; they also found ways to connect Bigs, Littles, and their families with additional resources.

“Over the past several months, I’ve heard from agency leaders in rural towns and metropolitan communities, those in the suburbs and every place in between,” said Artis Stevens, President & CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. “And there’s one theme I’ve noticed everywhere, and that’s the power of resilience. We congratulate these agencies for earning these top honors. The level of commitment and dedication is outstanding, to see staff doing all they can to make sure our youth will not only survive these challenging times, but thrive for the long-term.”

The Quality Award Winners were formally recognized at BBBSA’s 2021 Virtual  ‘Bigger Together’ National Conference in June.