Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Miami and The Five Millers $1.1 Million Continuing Scholarship P

MIAMI, FL, USA (SANEPR.com) August 25, 2008 -- Little Brothers and Little Sisters of the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Miami mentoring program now have a greater incentive to graduate from high school, thanks to a generous $1.1 million gift through the Five Millers Continuing Education Scholarship Program. The Five Millers Family Foundation has established the Continuing Education Scholarship Program through Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Miami in an effort to combat the alarming statistic of the more than 50 percent of Miami students who drop out before completing high school.

The Miller Family, originally of Hoosick Falls, New York, has been involved in philanthropy and charitable activities for many years. The groundwork for the family foundation was laid by siblings Dora and Sayde. “This is a multi-year financial commitment to the children in the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Miami program and their educational needs,” said Foundation President and Trustee Senator Paul Steinberg who has experienced the benefits of the mentoring relationship for many years of being involved with the organization. In addition, his son, Miami Beach Commissioner Richard Steinberg has been a Big Brother for over 10 years and has seen first hand the power of mentoring and motivating children to success.

As one of the largest and most successful one to one mentoring agencies in the Miami-Dade area, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Miami now is able to impact a child’s way of thinking about education.
“With this generous gift, we are now able to offer the young people in our program the financial support to further their education thereby motivating them to graduate high school. What an incredible opportunity for them, and for this community,” said Lydia Muniz, CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Miami. In a time where the economic news trends downward and federal cuts while the cost of attending college continues to escalate and student financial aid is in jeopardy, a higher education will no longer be out of reach for children in financial need. Through this program, Big Brothers Big Sisters will also be able to further leverage relationships with local universities to open more doors for students in the program. In addition, students for whom college may not be the right avenue will also be able to receive financial support for entering a vocational or technical program.

About Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Miami:

BBBS of Greater Miami is one of the largest affiliates of the national Big Brothers Big Sisters organization and is celebrating their fiftieth anniversary and commitment to the Greater Miami community. The local chapter serves more than 7,000 local children, volunteers, and families through professionally supported, one-to-one relationships with caring adult volunteers.

Contact:

Fabiola Fleuranvil of Blueprint Creative Group
for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Miami
(404) 437-0078
Fabiola@BlueprintCreativeGroup.com
www.WeMentor.org