For Immediate Release
Contact: Aleisha Garcia
Phone: 561-727-3450
Mentoring Program
to Help Children of Palm Beach & Martin County Military Families
West Palm Beach – August 17, 2012 –Congressman Allen West,
Dr. Angela West, Veteran and Mother Tamika McCray, BBBS staff and Palm Beach
County military post members gathered at the Palm Beach County BBBS office this
week to launch the first-of-its-kind Military Mentoring Program. This program
focuses on providing one-to-one mentoring to children of currently serving and
recently returning service members in Palm Beach and Martin County. An
estimated 1,230 children of military service members reside in Palm Beach
County and an estimated 110 children of military service members reside in
Martin County.
The Big Brothers Big Sisters Military Mentoring Program will
provide mentors for children of veterans and active duty service members so
they realize their potential and build positive futures. The program’s goal is
to provide a source of strength and stability for families that have sacrificed
during deployments overseas. The program will encourage positive behaviors,
develop new relationships, decrease child activity in risky behaviors, and
strengthen family bonds. Children in these families often suffer from the
stress and anxiety of being separated from their parents. BBBS wants to support
these families by providing mentoring to the children in the hopes that it will
help them cope in healthy ways. BBBS provides children facing adversity with
strong and enduring, professionally supported one-to-one relationships that
change their lives for the better, forever.
Yvette Flores, Air Force veteran and BBBS Match and
Enrollment Specialist, has been working hard on developing this program. She
was a Surgical Technologist at David Grant Medical Center, Travis Air Force
Base in California and Bagram Airbase, Afghanistan. Her own experience being in
the military has helped her to organize this project.
“We hope to make a positive impact in these children’s lives
through Military Mentoring,” said Yvette Flores. “These children face many
unique challenges. We want to encourage their healthy growth and ensure that
they grow up understanding and appreciating the valuable service military
members provide to the
country.”
"Many people do not realize how many military families
we have living right here in Palm Beach and Martin Counties," said Big
Brothers Big Sisters Palm Beach and Martin Counties CEO Bill Bee.
"Big Brothers Big Sisters is thrilled to be able to serve the children of
our veterans. This program is a long time coming and our community will no
doubt be better off because of it."
"As a 22-year Army veteran, I know personally the pain
of leaving my own two daughters behind as I deployed to serve my country,"
West said. "The Big Brothers Big Sisters mentoring program will be a huge
benefit to our local military families."
Photo Caption: (Left to Right)
Back Row-Congressman Allen West, Yvette Flores, Tamika McCray, William P. Bee, Jr.
Front Row- Jeremiah, Issaiah and Joshua
Back Row-Congressman Allen West, Yvette Flores, Tamika McCray, William P. Bee, Jr.
Front Row- Jeremiah, Issaiah and Joshua
About Big Brothers Big Sisters of Palm Beach and Martin
Counties
BBBS provides children facing adversity aged 6-17 with volunteer mentors who serve as positive role models. Since 1986 the organization has provided mentors to children in Martin County and since July 2010 in Palm Beach County. Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (BBBSA) recognized the Martin County organization in 2007 as one of the 35 best performing agencies nationwide. BBBSA recognized CEO William P. Bee Jr. as “CEO of the Year- Small Agency Category” in 2007. South Florida Business Leader Magazine ranked BBBS in 2009, 2010 and again in 2011 as one of the top 100 South Florida small businesses. Visit www.mentorbig.org to learn more.
