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Big Brothers Big Sisters’ Third Annual Recognition Banquet
Sojourner’s Truth Staff
The Big Brothers Big
Sisters of Northwestern Ohio agency has served the youth of
this area for over 30 years – youth who live predominantly
in low wealth communities (92 percent received public
assistance).
On Sunday, January 27,
BBBS of Northwestern Ohio held its third annual
Award/Recognition Banquet at the Radisson Hotel in order to
honor achievement in the area of academics, attendance,
volunteerism and behavior.
As the name implies, Big
Brothers Big Sisters matches youngsters with adults who
provide mentoring services in a variety of programs –
long-term and short term. The agency’s mission is to provide
quality mentoring relationships between children and
qualified adults. The youngsters the program serves are
those whose families are on public assistance (92 percent),
are in poverty (90 percent), are headed by single parents
(71 percent) and are minority (62.6 percent).
The banquet was opened by
Willie McKether, PhD, Recognition Banquet chairman and vice
provost at the University of Toledo. Marie Bush, board
chairman of BBBSNWO, presented the introductions and
acknowledgements and, after dinner, Sammy J. Spann,
associate vice president and dean of students at UT, offered
the keynote address.
Then came the big moment –
the awards presented by Bush and Victor Coleman, Jr., board
member.
Thirty-one youngsters
received honors for their academic achievements, six for
attendance, two for volunteerism and nine for good behavior.
BBBSNWO’s executive
director is Johnny Mickler, who has a wide range of
experience in directing non-profit groups and has been in
charge of the agency for the past three-plus years. He first
arrived in Toledo in 1997 to start the area’s Urban League
chapter after running the Madison, WI Urban League chapter
for the previous five years. He left the Toledo area in 2007
for his native South Carolina and returned seven years
later.
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Big Brothers Big Sisters Board Chair Marie Bush, PhD, and
Executive Director Johnny Mick
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Over the past several
years one of the agency’s key programs has been implemented.
The “I Am Somebody, I Count” program works with youth of
high-school age and provides leadership development training
– preparing them for college and careers. The program helps
them find summer jobs, brings in speakers on a regular basis
and provides assistance in finding college scholarships. The
program has recruited and enrolled 80 students, brought in
30 guest speakers to counsel the kids on various careers and
topics such as bullying, teen pregnancy and school violence
and taken them to job fairs around the area.
To date 30 of the kids
have already graduated from high school, 40 received summer
employment, 15 have already been awarded college
scholarships.
The greatest outcome, says
Mickler, “is changing behavior in a positive direction.”
The key component of the
program, says Mickler, is the leadership development
training which includes pre-employment readiness training
focusing on setting goals, a code of conduct, etiquette,
work readiness, correct behavior, anger management, credit
counseling and community issues.
The leadership development
component has a year-round aspect including academic
enrichment, college tours, community service projects and
career readiness.
The Big Brothers Big
Sisters program started in Toledo in 1937 and eventually
became part of the national program.
Funding provided by
grants, company and private donations, agencies such as
United Way and special events such as this year’s banquet
are critical to the continued success of BBBSNWO.
This year’s banquet
sponsors included UPS, FirstEnergy, the University of
Toledo, TPS, Fifth Third Bank, UAW Region 2B, Ohio State UAW
CAP Council and Dr. Houston Johnson, MD
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