JBBBS Blog – Stories That Inspire
by Jeffrey Savit
As the CEO of Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters (JBBBS), one of the parts of my job that I cherish the most is getting to talk to our participants, families, volunteers and staff and hear their stories
I am thrilled that our new blog will be a platform for all of you to get to hear these stories, too. Over the coming months, various members of our JBBBS family – participants, volunteers, staff, and board members – will all be sharing their own JBBBS stories and contributing to the blog. And, I hope you will be as inspired by them as I already am.
To kick off the blog, I wanted to share my own JBBBS story – one that started more than 28 years ago when I applied to be a Big myself. It turned out that I unfortunately was not eligible as my wife was then pregnant with my older daughter Mollie. At the time, expectant parents or parents of children under age 18 were ineligible to volunteer as a Big. Happily, however, the agency recruited me to be on the Board and the rest is history. I have spent the last nearly 30 years involved in the agency – first as a volunteer, then as board chair of both the agency and our endowment, and now as a member of our wonderful staff– and have treasured every moment.
“There is no debate: one-on-one relationships have a transformational impact on everyone involved”
I am thrilled that my JBBBS story has come full circle as this past year I finally became a JBBBS volunteer in the Friend 2 Friend program. I am matched with my Friend, Brad, who has quickly become a really important part of my life. Together, we enjoy lunches, go on walks, play mini golf and share a love of sports. There’s not a week that goes by that we don’t talk to one another. My life is enriched by my monthly outings with Brad.
So, while my almost 30-year journey with JBBBS may not be typical, the impact our agency has, and the stories I hear, never cease to amaze me. There is no debate: one-on-one relationships have a transformational impact on everyone involved. I look forward to sharing our JBBBS stories with you in the months ahead and to experience yours as well.