Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Arizona names new CEO

Recently, the nonprofit Big Brothers Big Sisters named a new CEO for its Central Arizona branch. Debbie Castillo-Smith, CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Arizona, joined “Arizona Horizon” to discuss the nonprofit and its impact on the local community.

For 70 years, Big Brothers Big Sisters has operated under the belief that, inherent in every child, is the ability to succeed and thrive in life.

Castillo-Smith said Big Brothers Big Sisters creates meaningful and monitored matches between adult volunteers, known as “Bigs,” and children, known as “Littles,” ages 6 through 18. The pairings develop positive relationships that have a direct and lasting effect on the lives of young people.

“25 years I’ve been there,” Castillo-Smith said, “…I saw that passion of giving back to the community…and just always had a passion for the power of mentorship, and being able to see these kids…have the opportunity to watch them grow into adults, and the impact.”

At Big Brothers Big Sisters, they match up, create, and support mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of use. The volunteers, known as “Bigs,” are paired up with youths, also known as “Little’s,” to find a perfect fit.

“They come from all walks of life, our kids in our program, they want to be here,” Castillo-Smith said, “…that’s so special.”

Castillo-Smith explained how the process starts with all of the volunteers going through a thorough background check. The volunteers are then asked about their interests, hobbies, or struggles they may have experienced in the past.

“…maybe they had a bully that they dealt with…so we match them up based on that,” Castillo-Smith discussed, “…we want to make sure we have a good, supportive, relationship.”

Castillo-Smith had been a mentor for numerous years and emphasized how much it had impacted her life.

“I feel as though I get so much more out of being a mentor than the kids do,” Castillo-Smith said, “…they bring so much light to my life, and teach me the importance of just smiling, and just understanding those little moments that really matter.”