On October 10th, Big Brothers Big Sisters celebrated all its volunteers with a Fall Harvest Festival-themed 2024 Volunteer Recognition Dinner! Igniting the potential of youth and, in turn, making our communities a better place would not be possible without the dedication of these extraordinary people. The 5 volunteers—who embraced their role as mentor and friend with particular vigor and who demonstrated the impactful results to prove it—were announced as the Bigs of the Year for all of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Indiana.
On Thursday, BBBS staff and Bigs from all over Northeast Indiana traveled to Purdue Fort Wayne’s International Ballroom to join in on an evening full of fall fun. This year’s Volunteer Recognition Dinner, hosted again for the first time in several years, featured a free dinner for its Bigs, harvest festival games, and loads of prizes that made this night unforgettable. This event also featured our announcement of the Bigs of the Year for BBBSNEI, honoring the selected 5 Bigs who have gone above and beyond as volunteers, helping BBBS ignite the power and promise of youth.
The 5 Bigs that were awarded Big as Big Brother, Big Sister, Big Couple, and School Buddy of the Year:
- Big Brother of the Year: Chase Lockwood
- Big Sister of the Year: Alma Jimenez
- Big Couple of the Year: Nick & Alyssa Utter
- School Buddy of the Year: Sandra Brown
Big Brother of the Year
Big Brother Chase has been matched with his Little Brother Gabe for 7 years now! The outgoing Little Brother Gabe has been through thick and thin with his Big Brother and has learned so much—becoming the confident and respectful young man he is today. Over the years, they have worked on respecting boundaries and choosing positive influences. By now, both feel like they have changed for the better because of their friendship. Chase shared what he has learned over the years being a Big: “It’s really been interesting, being a Big Brother, especially because I have three kids under five. In a way, I had Gabe before I had any of my kids now. Gabe taught me how to be a dad!”
Big Couple of the Year
Big Sister Alma and Big Couple Nick & Alyssa hail from Kosciusko County along with their Littles.
Big Couple Nick & Alyssa have been matched with Little Brother Christopher for 7 years! There’s nothing this match can’t face when together. And there’s no place they’d rather be on a Sunday after church than with each other, eating a home-cooked meal. Christopher is now 18 years old, and his self-confidence and growth throughout their match gives his Big Couple a lot to brag about—especially since he recently graduated from high school! Big Brother Nick said, “We have absolutely loved watching our Little learn and grow through the last 5+ years. Seeing him try new things, learn what he enjoys, and follow his heart has been so fun.”
Big Sister of the Year
Big Sister Alma and her Little Sister Yuridia first met a decade ago and have built an unshakable foundation of friendship since. Yuridia said, “I like being able to experience new things in life with my Big.” And after 10 years of being matched, these two have entered many new life stages—together! At 17 years old, Yuridia is at a new stage in her life: preparing for life beyond high school! Thankfully, she has a Big Sister who will be there for her on this new journey, offering wisdom and guidance when life brings new challenges.
School Buddy of the Year
Big Sister Sandra and her Little Sister Tempi are from Adams County. Tempi’s most asked question at school is always: “When am I going to see my lunch buddy next?” Whenever Tempi needs someone to talk to, her School Buddy Sandra is just the person she is looking for to lend a listening ear and a piece of comforting advice. And Sandra is a great mentor, always setting boundaries and guiding her Little on how to make wise choices. But their story doesn’t end with graduation from School Buddies. Sandra and Tempi are excited to continue their 2.5 years of friendship past the school walls, having transitioned to Community-Based.
Because Sandra was unable to attend the event in person, BBBS staff decided to pay a special visit to present her with her award! A live feed was streamed to the Volunteer Recognition Dinner of Sandra receiving her title as School Buddy of the Year.
Thank You!!!
We’d like to thank each and every one of our Bigs who exemplify a commitment to change, giving back, and being a good friend—and a special BIG “thank you” and congratulations to our Bigs of the Year for Northeast Indiana!
