On May 22, the Chamber’s Vice President for Military Affairs and Leadership Development Lori Stinson and Vice President of Education and Workforce Development Lisa Marie Gomez were on hand to see Big Brothers Big Sisters launch its Recruitment of Military Veterans Campaign, which will provide Veterans and active duty personnel with a way to remain engaged in leadership and mentoring roles for continued career development.
The official launch of the Military Mentoring Advisory Council (MMAC) now extends the reach of agency staff into the military community for purposes of recruiting volunteers and promoting awareness of the opportunity for military parents to enroll their kids. MMAC’s goal is in recruiting members with familiarity and expertise with the military in order to help the organization gain access to opportunities to spread the messaging of the value of mentoring, especially across the Military community.
Big Brothers Big Sisters was recently awarded funding from the Texas Veterans Commission (TVC) where proceeds are provided by the Texas Lottery Commission. Representatives from the TVC and Lottery Commissioner Robert Rivera shared remarks about the importance of our military community and providing youth with military mentors.
Bexar County Pct. 2 Commissioner Justin Rodriguez relayed his early call to action to be a mentor. “Early in my career after law school, I had a special mentor who taught me the value of sharing time and experiences with the youth in my community – who are our future leaders,” said Rodriguez.
General Ed Rice (United Way) shared his personal experiences about the importance of mentoring. “The self-discipline and call to service that our military holds as important values will be a huge benefit to children in our communities,” said Rice.
By becoming a mentor for at-risk youth, this new important mission allows military personnel to defend the potential of children who are in need of a positive role model. Other special guests at the press conference included representatives from the offices of State Senator Donna Campbell and Congressman Chip Roy, Women Veterans of San Antonio, Wounded Warriors Project, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the John Jay High School Silver Eagles Drill Team provided an awe-inspiring presentation of their award winning skills.
For more information on the Military Mentoring Advisory Council or on ways to volunteer as a Big Brother Big Sister, contact Isaiah Lucio Lopez at ilpez@bigmentor.org.
