This National Mentoring Month, we’ve partnered with Starbucks to help us give a huge thank you to our Bigs. On every Friday during the month of January, active Bigs can redeem a free, tall [12oz.] drink of your choice from a participating Starbucks location!
Present your BBBSCI volunteer ID card or your promotional postcard at participating Central Indiana Starbucks stores to receive your free tall beverage (12 fl. oz.) beverage on January 3, 10, 17, 24, and 31.
Click here to find a participating Starbucks store near you!
Note: Starbucks counters located inside retail stores, hotels, airports, etc. are not participating in this promotion.
On September 26, 2024, Eli Lilly and Company partnered with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana for their annual community-service campaign known as Lilly Global Day of Service. On this day, volunteers helped to spread the mission of mentorship by delivering Big Brothers Big Sisters yard signs across central Indiana.
For our 10th year of partnership, we had the opportunity to work with a brand-new group of 40+ volunteers from Eli Lilly and Company known as Chorus. They are described as “an integrated team of drug developers providing IND-enabling and clinical development capabilities.”
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana hosted a kickoff breakfast for all our Eli Lilly and Company volunteers where they had the opportunity to learn more about our organization and fuel up before heading out to deliver signs.
In total, our volunteers delivered over 650 Big Brothers Big Sisters signs to yards, schools, and businesses across Marion, Johnson, and Hamilton county.
We are immensely grateful to Eli Lilly and Company and the Chorus team for playing an integral role in Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana’s largest annual grassroots awareness campaign!
Big Brother Bob Rath with Little Brother Xavier.
I am a Colombian American who grew up in Indianapolis at a time when there were very few Hispanics in Indiana, only around one percent. My dad passed away when I was just three years old, leaving my Colombian mother to raise four young children, aged three to ten, on her own.
The 1970s were a difficult time for single mothers and for immigrants in Indiana. Finding employment, obtaining credit, and buying used cars were just a few of the barriers faced by women, especially immigrant single mothers.
We felt lucky to have an international aspect to life – in cuisine, books, décor, perspective. But, in some ways, it just seemed normal to us. I remember an incident when I was about five years old. Someone made a comment about my mom’s accent, and I wondered, “what accent?” She spoke limited English before marriage and always had a strong accent, but it was just normal to me.
Our nearest relatives were in eastern Ohio and New Jersey, and most of my family lived in Colombia. Mom was our only daily adult influence, and we think she did a great job raising four kids on her own, always a proud Colombian.
My appreciation of my heritage grew over time, especially as an undergraduate at Indiana University. As a senior preparing to graduate from college, I sought opportunities to work internationally. I began my career at RCA and had several assignments in Mexico, where I met and married my wife, Alma.
“My Hispanic heritage has influenced every aspect of my life, for which I am a happy and proud Hispanic Hoosier.”
We speak Spanish at home, our three kids are bilingual, we have all worked with international organizations or clients/students, and we visit family in Mexico when possible.
My Hispanic heritage has influenced every aspect of my life, for which I am a happy and proud Hispanic Hoosier.
Bob and Xavier at the Indianapolis Zoo around Día de los Muertos.
Xavier’s father was from Mexico but has not been present in his life. Xavier expressed an interest in connecting with his heritage, which I believe was a factor in our being matched by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana. Being Hispanic American is something important that we share and appreciate.
We have attended several international events together, including Fiesta Indianapolis, Fiesta Lawrence, and Día de los Muertos celebrations. Xavier has enjoyed trying cuisine from different parts of Mexico, Colombia, and Venezuela. He even started to make breakfast burritos at home!
Celebrations of heritage were not very common in Indiana when I was growing up. I love that people now gather to celebrate so many aspects of their lives, including heritage and identity. Many families, like mine growing up, are unable to visit their family abroad. Events like Hispanic Heritage Month bring people together here, in Central Indiana, to celebrate their culture with people from all cultures.
A couple of events predate Hispanic Heritage Month but laid a foundation, locally. For our family and many others, Indianapolis became a brand-new city after hosting the Tenth Pan American Games in 1987. Never had so much Spanish been spoken in Indianapolis! Fiesta Indianapolis was a big deal in the 1980s, also. Mom was a founding member of the Sociedad Amigos de Colombia and would cook flan for the SADCO booth at Fiesta in the early years.
Xavier and I will be at Fiesta Indianapolis again this year, for sure!
INDIANAPOLIS (September 26,2024) – On September 26, 2024, Reggie Wayne will address hundreds of top business and civic leaders at Lucas Oil Stadium for The Main Event with Title Sponsor Delta Faucet Company and benefitting Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana (BBBSCI).
Reggie Wayne, entering his third season as the Indianapolis Colts’ wide receivers coach, has made significant contributions both on and off the field. During his tenure, the Colts’ offense has consistently ranked among the top in the NFL, with players like Michael Pittman Jr. achieving career-high statistics under Wayne’s guidance. A first-round pick in the 2001 NFL Draft, Wayne set franchise records for the Colts, earned six Pro Bowl selections, won a Super Bowl ring, and secured induction into the team’s Ring of Honor. During The Main Event, BBBSCI will also recognize their annual Community Mentor Award honoree – this year, in legacy of Jim Morris of Pacers Sports & Entertainment – and their 2024 class of Alumni Hall of Fame Bigs & Littles.
The Main Event is a traditionally sports-themed event that has long been one of the city’s premier fundraisers, raising over $400,000 for BBBSCI. “At Delta Faucet Company, we believe deeply in the power that connection and relationships have on our community. We are honored to partner with BBBSCI to support the work they do in central Indiana to connect kids with caring mentors and proud of our employees that serve as Bigs to support this mission,” stated Joe Rogalski, Vice President – Information Services of Delta Faucet Company and Board member for BBBSCI.
“We can’t wait to host The Main Event in Lucas Oil Stadium for the very first time with the legendary Reggie Wayne,” shared Darcey Palmer-Shultz, CEO of BBBSCI. “Each year, BBBSCI is blown away by our community’s support, which shows a commitment to making sure every kid has somebody by their side to guide them, encourage them, and inspire them.”
“I am so excited to be a part of The Main Event and BBBSCI’s mission,” said Reggie Wayne, celebrity guest speaker at the event. “Mentors in my life have guided me through the toughest challenges to find my greatest achievements, and I have had the opportunity to mentor many young people during my coaching career. BBBSCI truly exemplifies the importance of and commitment to connection in central Indiana.”
BBBS has been a leader in mentorship for 120 years, and BBBSCI has served this community for 50+ years. We use evidence-based mentoring experiences that show that mentorship is good for young people, good for the economy, and good society:
- Good for Young People – In the long term, adults who’ve had a positive mentor experience greater health benefits, reduced isolation, and live longer lives. People who have experienced mentorship are:
- Two times more likely to be involved in and hold leadership positions;
- 41% less likely to engage in substance abuse; and
- Two times more likely to enroll in post-secondary education.
- Good for the Economy – Mentorship plays a crucial role in bridging capital and fostering upward economic mobility with evidence showing that creating economic connectedness in childhood leaders to higher income in adulthood.
- Good for Society – Mentoring builds stronger social connections across diverse groups, leading to a more connected society across socioeconomic, racial, and geographic lines.
Being a mentor, or “Big,” through BBBSCI requires a one-year commitment to be matched with a mentee, or “Little.” Bigs and Littles meet 4-6 hours per month, and together, they enjoy activities provided by BBBSCI and their partners or find activities within their community. To learn more about becoming a Big, visit www.bebigforkids.org/volunteer.
To learn more about BBBSCI and The Main Event, visit https://www.bebigforkids.org/event/the-main-event-2024/.