January 30, 2007
Heroes In Our Midst Reinforces Tradition of Connecting with Others Through Card-Sending
GAINESVILLE, FL (Jan. 30, 2007) - A Gainesville woman has been tapped for a national “Heroes In Our Midst” award for giving her time and compassion to help improve the life of a Florida teen and the teen’s mother, a single parent of four.
Jill Wagstaff -- an active community member, mother of four, and mentor with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Mid-Florida – received the special award today at the University of Florida Sigma Kappa sorority house, where she also serves as an advisor.
Heroes In Our Midst is a national recognition program of the Greeting Card Association. The program, which each month recognizes everyday community heroes from around the country, reinforces the importance of connecting with others, and encourages Americans to send cards to the heroes in their own lives to show them someone cares. Since its launch last year, Heroes In Our Midst has helped to generate thousands of cards for community and personal heroes.
Wagstaff , who helped guide her “Little Sister” Tori through the challenges of adolescence, received a bronze Heroes In Our Midst medallion and a ceremonial check for $1,000, which will be donated in Wagstaff’s name to the local Big Brothers Big Sisters agency to support similar mentoring matches in the community.
Wagstaff and Tori were matched seven years ago, when Tori’s mother contacted Big Brothers Big Sisters in the hopes of providing her daughter with more one-on-one time with a positive female role model. The two quickly bonded, and when Wagstaff got married, she asked Tori to be a bridesmaid. Now that Wagstaff is the mother of four young children, Tori is considered a member of the family and their “aunt.”
Tori’s mother credits Wagstaff with helping her daughter grow into a self-confident young woman, and inspiring the teen to keep up her grades and plan for college. “Jill has taken the time to understand our family values and what I hope to instill in Tori. She has made my job as a single parent a lot easier.”
“Every moment of our relationship has been a high point for me,” said Wagstaff, “and I believe that anyone can be a hero in a young person’s life. You really get so much out of being a mentor, and I look forward to many more years to come with my Little Sister.”
During today’s ceremony, Tori presented Wagstaff with a greeting card noting how inseparable the two had become, and how much she looked up to “Miss Jill.” As representatives of Big Brothers Big Sisters, Sigma Kappa and the Gainesville Junior Women’s Club looked on, the teen said she hoped people throughout Florida would also send a card to Wagstaff expressing their appreciation for being her role model and Big Sister.
Cards should be addressed to:
Jill Wagstaff
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Mid-Florida
1155 NW 13th Street
Gainesville, FL 32601
“This program is all about the rewards of connecting to others and building human ties,” said Juliette Bogus, spokeswoman for Heroes In Our Midst. “Similarly, we believe that exchanging greeting cards is one of America’s most cherished traditions for showing that you care about others. Americans everywhere have a special card story of how someone impacted their life or created a lasting bond or shared memory through a greeting card.”
To learn more about Heroes In Our Midst, visit www.HeroesInOurMidst.org.
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Big Brothers Big Sisters is the oldest, largest and most effective youth mentoring organization in the U.S. It has been the leader in one-to-one youth service for more than a century, developing positive relationships that have a direct and lasting impact of the lives of young people. Big Brothers Big Sisters serves 240,000 children, ages 6 through 18, in all 50 states. The national offices are located in Philadelphia. To volunteer or donate, visit www.bbbsa.org.
The Greeting Card Association, headquartered in Washington, DC, represents nearly 300 U.S. and international greeting card publishers and suppliers. It is dedicated to celebrating, promoting and preserving the tradition and cultural values of exchanging greeting cards.