Pensacola, Fla. – The Arby’s Foundation has committed $500,000 to support every community where Arby’s has a restaurant, including Northwest Florida. The Northwest Florida-area Arby’s team is proud to have selected Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Florida (BBBSNWFL) as a recipient of a $13,900 grant to support its mentoring programs from Pensacola to Panama City. In total, the Arby’s Foundation anticipates giving out nearly 200 local grants across the U.S.
“I have been with Big Brothers Big Sisters for 24 years and this partnership has impacted and changed many,” says BBBSNWFL President and CEO, Paula Shell. “From a simple roast beef sandwich to those famous curly fries, relationships are built in our local stores between our Bigs and Littles and between Arby’s team members and our Matches. It’s a connection that will last forever.”
The funds from the grant will be used to fund BBBSNWFL’s mentoring programs from Pensacola to Panama City. This includes extensive background screenings for volunteers (Bigs), volunteer training and orientation, and professional case management so that no match is left unsupported.
From 1990 to 2010, Arby’s was Big Brothers Big Sisters of America’s longest standing corporate partner, supporting the Big Brothers Big Sisters mission for over 20 years, and giving more than 30 million dollars to Big Brothers Big Sisters. In 2018 the partnership renewed, bringing together Big Brothers Big Sisters, Junior Achievement, and No Kid Hungry, giving them the ability to have greater impact on a child’s wellbeing by addressing youth leadership and career readiness in addition to childhood hunger.
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About The Arby’s Foundation: The Arby’s Foundation, the independent charitable arm of Arby’s, helps America’s kids dream big and pursue their dreams with confidence. Building on a philanthropic heritage that has contributed nearly $90 million to youth-related causes since its inception in 1986, the Arby’s Foundation is committed to helping kids fuel, expand and pursue their dreams by focusing on childhood hunger, youth leadership and career readiness initiatives. To learn more about how Arby’s and Big Brothers Big Sisters is working to end the wait for America’s youth, visit http://thebigwait.org/.
About Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Florida: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Florida has been the area’s leader in one-to-one mentoring for 32 years by serving children ages 5 through 18 and beyond. Our mission is to create and support one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth. Last year, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Florida served 555 children in Northwest Florida.