Greenville Native Tanya Yepsen was chosen as Big Sister of the year.
Tanya Yepsen with her "Little", Destiny.
Ohio Big Sister of the Year Tanya Yepsen, originally from Greenville Ohio and now from the Columbus area and Big Brother of the Year Jay Shatz from the Cincinnati area represent the thousands of Ohioans who each made a commitment to help change how our children grow up.
Tanya Yepsen originally from Greenville Ohio landed her first job in 1968 as secretary to the director of the Big Brothers Association of Columbus when the agency served boys only. There she met the people and gained the experience that led her on a career path to positions at the United Way of Franklin County, The Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce, The Ohio Department of Development, and The Wexner Center Foundation. Thirty years later, she was back at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Ohio as development director, with a greater appreciation for the role adult mentors can play in the lives of children at risk. So, in 2002 when she started her own consulting business, her first priority was filling out an application to become a Big Sister and she was soon matched with her Little Sister Destiny.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Ohio has nominated Tanya as Ohio Big Sister of the Year, knowing firsthand the difference Tanya has made in Destiny's life. And, Destiny has given Tanya, the proud mother of a college professor son, the gift of seeing the world through the fresh eyes of a young girl.
Tanya continues her work as a development consultant for non-profits, a job that requires a strong belief in the mission and the same patience and listening skills that she brings to her friendship with Destiny. As a recipient of the Richardson Award, named for former Executive Director W. E. Richardson who provided Tanya with that life-changing job forty years ago, Tanya believes in the possibility of "changing the world one child at a time".
Like Shatz and Yepsen, each of these Ohioans is a volunteer Big Brother or Big Sister who was matched with a child by one of the 32 Big Brothers Big Sisters agencies that, together, served 16,000 Ohio children in 2008. The agencies collaborate to ensure that children throughout the state have the opportunity to benefit from the impact a caring mentor can have in their lives.
The Ohio Big Brothers Big Sisters agencies hosted an Advocacy Breakfast for legislators on May 6 at the Statehouse in Columbus. Yepsen and Shatz, along with their Little Sister and Little Brother, joined in the opportunity to show legislators how the state's investment in mentoring is being effectively utilized to help children through the collaborative efforts of Big Brothers Big Sisters agencies throughout the state.
Ohio Big Sister of the Year Tanya Yepsen and her Little Sister Destiny have been matched since 2003. Tanya, an independent development consultant for nonprofit organizations in Central Ohio, sees herself as Destiny's trainer, outfitter, driver, avid fan, and most importantly, friend and Big Sister. Yepsen was nominated for Ohio Big Sister of the Year by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Ohio, whose staff says that through the special gifts of friendship and mentoring, she has inspired hope and direction in Destiny's life.
Also honored during the May 6 program were the 2009 winners of the Big Brothers Big Sisters Advocate for Youth award, former Sen. Steve Stivers, Sen. Ray Miller (15th District), and Rep. Allan Sayre (96th District).
Douglas E. Lumpkin, Director of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, presented a Governor's Proclamation to the Ohio Big Brothers Big Sisters agencies to honor their collaborative effort serving children with incarcerated parents. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently named the Big Brothers Big Sisters Amachi Ohio program one of only five benchmark programs out of the 220 HHS-funded programs around the country that serve these children.
Sen. Joe Schiavoni (33rd District), who was Big Brothers Big Sisters of Mahoning Valley's 2007 Big Brother of the Year, and Rep. Sayre were featured speakers at the breakfast program. Both have Both addressed their fellow legislators and pointed out the impact that mentoring has on a child's life.
Sen. Joe Schiavoni (33rd District) and Rep. Sayre were featured speakers at the breakfast program. Sen. Schiavoni was Big Brothers Big Sisters of Mahoning Valley's 2007 Big Brother of the Year, and Rep. Sayre serves on the Board of Big Brothers Big Sisters of East Central Ohio. Both encouraged their fellow legislators to support the work of Big Brothers Big Sisters, and pointed out that the organization's mentoring programs are changing how our children grow up in Ohio.
About Big Brothers Big Sisters in Ohio
Big Brothers Big Sisters helps vulnerable children beat the odds. Its one-to-one mentoring programs are proven to increase children's odds of succeeding in school, behaving nonviolently, avoiding drugs and alcohol, and breaking negative cycles. Together, 32 Big Brothers Big Sisters agencies in Ohio brought the magic of mentoring to 16,000 children throughout Ohio during 2008. Learn how you can change how children grow up in our region of Shelby and Darke County by going to www.bigbrobigsis-shelbydarke.org.