SEPTEMBER 2020 EDITION
Community-Based Big of the Month
Congratulations to our September Community-Based Big of the Month, Cris Areskog!

What is your favorite activity that you have done with your little?

"My favorite activity with Jay'lon would have to be when he completed his first written book report for me. He worked so hard on that, taking a while to read, then elaborate on the book by Adam Blade in 2013. At that time, I had not realized he would end up completing over ten throughout our time together. The time we sat courtside at a Hornets game would be a close second."  

What is your favorite thing about being a Big? Any advice for other Bigs out there?

"The best thing about being a Big, is the ability to help others grow while gaining the perspective of others you may have not previously had the ability to comprehend. Every single person in this world has a different background and story to tell, BBBS allows us the privilege to understand that. Jay'lon and I enjoy challenging each other and discussing ways we can help our communities. The advice I would have for Bigs out there would be to stay persistent and keep faith in your little. Through 8 years as a Big, the relationship can be trying at times, however, a determination never fails, and success always finds a way to shine."

Would you and Jay'lon rather:

Go out to eat OR Do something active: Do something active, we play a lot of disc golf, but we ALWAYS get ice cream on the way home.
Watch a Hornet's game OR Watch a Panther's game: In person, a Hornet’s Game, no doubt. 
Go to Big Day at the Lake OR attend the Holiday Party: BIG DAY AT THE LAKE!
Always be 10 minutes late OR Always be 20 minutes early: This one will depend on which one of us you ask.  


Thank you for being a wonderful mentor Cris!
BIG VIRTUAL BREAKFAST
Our Big Virtual Breakfast raised $60,550!
Thank you to all who watched our event and made a donation. We would like to thank our sponsors. Gold Sponsors: Ally Financial and the Charlotte Hornets Foundation. Bronze Sponsors: Slalom, Duke Energy, GEICO, Cadwalader, PNC, Rivas Family Foundation, and Deloitte.

Together we make it possible for children to succeed and thrive!
County Highlights
During COVIID -19, York county has received an influx of applications for Bigs which is wonderful news!! Currently, we have only one male and one female Little waiting. If you know of a child that can benefit from having a Big in York county, please contact us!!
BBBSCC – Cabarrus’ is hosting the first Big Virtual Breakfast. Thank you to our Presenting Sponsor, Vulcan Materials Company for making the event possible. Click the link below to register today. You do not want to miss this.
Due the COVID-19 Virus, we made the difficult decision to cancel our Big Day of Golf scheduled for September 14th. The safety of the golfers and our staff is our major priority.

We would like to thank our BDOG Sponsors for their continued support to BBBSCC and we look forward to seeing them this spring on the tee boxes.

Byron Financials
Brydon Foundation
Charlotte Country Day School
Chase Auto
Childress Klein
Concrete Supply
Core & Main
Duke Energy
Eldeco
Embree-Reed
Lithko Contracting
McFarland Construction
McKenney's Inc.
National Gypsum
NFP
ONS Masonry
Rodgers Builders
Showalter Construction
Southeastern Architectural Systems
Spectrum Interiors

Thank You, Big Day of Golf Sponsors!
BBBSCC- Cabarrus County partnered with Elevation Church and local businesses to provide backpacks full of school tool necessities. Special thanks to Elevation Church-Concord, Uwharrie Bank, Hilbish Ford, and the Cabarrus Leadership Council for making this event possible.

Learn how Kenyata makes a difference in her community through Big Brother Big Sisters of Central Carolinas

Kenyata Jones recently won the Allstate's Helping Hands Award. As the winner, Kenyata had the opportunity to select an eligible nonprofit of her choice to receive a $1,000 grant from Allstate. Kenyata chose Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Carolinas (BBBSCC) to receive this grant so youth in the Charlotte-area can continue to have access to mentoring opportunities.​​​​​​​

Growing up in Dayton, OH, Kenyata’s grandfather was a large influence in her life. He was always helping others throughout the community, and he made sure to include Kenyata in as much charity work as possible. This is where her love for giving back began.

By the time Kenyata reached high school, she had been volunteering for years and had realized that she felt a strong calling to serve others. This calling eventually led Kenyata to enlist in the United States Army Reserves upon graduation, where she served for several years, even serving in Iraq and Kuwait. Though Kenyata’s commitment to community service remained strong, it wasn’t until she returned to civilian life that she became aware of a special opportunity that would alter her path in the years to come – Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Carolinas.

“I had a friend that was a Big Brother and he would always tell us how awesome [BBBSCC] was. I also had another friend who served with [BBBSCC], and my husband works with at-risk children as well. With the three of them in my ear, I dove in head-first.” She says about her decision to join. Kenyata joined Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Carolinas and was quickly matched with Inara – a 13-year old girl living in Charlotte. For the past three years, Kenyata has regularly carved out time from her hectic work schedule to spend time with Inara, connecting with her several times a month to enjoy things like concerts and basketball games. Kenyata’s ultimate goal is to expose Inara to positive experiences that she might not otherwise have access to. Recently, though the COVID-19 pandemic has prevented them from physically spending time together, Kenyata has still been able to consistently keep in touch with Inara virtually.

Throughout the pandemic, Kenyata has also continued to raise money for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Carolinas. As the Membership Lead of the Young Processional Leadership Council (YPLC) at BBBSCC, Kenyata was even able to inspire her colleagues to raise $1,600 for Big Brother of Big Sisters of Central Carolinas during Bring Out the Good Month in memory of a colleague who passed away.

Kenyata, thank you for your commitment to Inara and to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Carolinas!
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Mission

Create and support one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth.

Vision

All youth achieve their full potential.
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