“A lot of the kids who we serve are right over there,” Thompson said this morning while pointing to the neighborhood west of her Hub City office at 121 N. Wilson St.
The office, which stands kitty-corner to City Hall, opened around February of this year and is part of BBBS’ strategic growth plan to better serve the northern region of Okaloosa and Walton counties. This morning, the Crestview Area Chamber of Commerce helped officially welcome BBBS to the Hub City by leading a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new office.
“We’ve had a need for Big Brothers Big Sisters for quite some time,” Crestview Mayor J.B. Whitten told about 40 ceremony attendees, including Thompson and BBBS of Northwest Florida CEO Paula Shell. “Welcome to our beautiful city.”
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Florida has been providing one-to-one mentoring services for children in Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton and Bay counties since 1989.
Each adult who volunteers to serve as a Big Brother or Sister in the mentoring program is asked to commit to volunteering for one year from the date their match opens. Each “Big” is then asked to see his or her “Little” at least twice a month, with weekly contact.
There is no charge to enroll a child in the mentoring program.
Thompson said her office currently has 24 children matched with a Big Brother or Sister and that about 30 other kids await matches.
At the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Okaloosa County Commission Chairman Paul Mixon encouraged adults to get involved with BBBS and become mentors because the children the organization assists represent “our future.”
City of Crestview officials donated the space for BBBS’ Hub City office. The building it occupies on North Wilson Street is leased by the city from CSX Transportation.
Besides the BBBS office, the building houses a contractor staging area, which currently is being used by contractors for the Main Street renovation project, and a studio where City Manager Tim Bolduc records his weekly “Crestview Leads” podcasts.
For information on how to get involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Florida, visit OKBig.org or call (850) 664-5437.