Big Brothers Big Sisters honors volunteers
On Tuesday, April 23, Big Brothers Big Sister of Long Island (BBBSLI) in Levittown, celebrated their volunteer mentors (‘Bigs’) at the Volunteer Appreciation Dinner, generously sponsored by Sperry Associates FCU. The celebratory dinner was held during National Volunteer Appreciation Week at the Crest Hollow Country Club, highlighting over 25,000 cumulative hours of time and energy spent annually to positively impact the lives of children on Long Island.
In her opening speech to the room of nearly 200 guests, Susan Samaroo, COO of BBBSLI remarked, “Each of you here tonight greatly impact the lives of your Littles and the families in our program.”
During the evening’s program, volunteer mentors (‘Bigs’) who have been matched for five or more years were recognized. BBBSLI also proudly announced the Bigs of the Year, those who have gone above and beyond in support of a child facing adversity:
College Big of the Year—Hofstra University Mentoring Program, Sean Williams, matched since 2003
Big Sister of the Year—Lisanne Lange, matched since 2003
ig Brother of the Year—John Murphy, matched since 2005
Williams’ Little Brother, 8-year old Mukesh, wrote in his speech, “I’ve known Sean for some time now and feel very comfortable around him. I do not ever feel that he judges me. Sean is always encouraging me to do my very best. Sean is a very helpful person.”
Little Sister Nicole has been matched for 10 years with her Big Sister, Lange, and wrote “Thank you for supporting me and helping me grow up. You have inspired me to be a Big Sister- every little girl should get to experience a relationship like ours.”
Big Brother of the Year John Murphy’s Little Brother could not attend the dinner, but wrote a heartfelt letter shared by his sibling, Francesca, also a Little in our program. “I remember John always telling me that life is better than money and cars. He taught me that family is the most important thing in life. He has always been caring for my family and me and never once gave up on me.”
To learn more about how mentoring works, visit bbbsli.org or call 516-731-7880.
