Big Brothers Big Sisters relies upon a wide range of support from companies and individuals, like employees of Garden Savings Federal Credit Union, above, to deliver quality mentoring to local children like Amir. When we first met him, Amir was a respectful child with a drive to get his own way; “a loving, kind boy who needs a little time to grow up,” his kindergarten teacher told us. She recommended Amir, who was growing up without his father, to Big Brothers Big Sisters and soon he was matched with Big Brother Tom. After 8 years together, Tom's a fixture in Amir’s life. They’ve bonded over sports, particularly football. “I watch all the Jets games with my Big Brother and his family,” Amir told us, and it’s great time together for both of them. Tom capitalizes on making visits fun and constructive by weaving lessons about sportsmanship, attitude and life into game time. Amir's family is grateful for the role Tom plays in his life saying, “Tom is the father figure Amir never had, and Amir is a better person because of him." Their friendship's important to Amir, too. “I’m a witness to the benefits of mentoring,” he told us. “Tom’s great, and he’s really been there for me. If not for Big Brothers Big Sisters, I wouldn’t have him in my life.” Tom's friendship with Amir is special enough that he's been named 2014's National Big Brother of the Year. We want to bring the kind of transformative, positive influences Tom brings into Amir's life into the lives of more children in the 4 northern New Jersey counties we serve. With your help, we can do that.