1

BIGUpdate

The

Sept/Oct 2013

Mark your Calendars for the

6th Annual Paul's Car Wash

Hosted by CBS 5 News meteorologist Paul Horton!

It's been a rainy and dusty monsoon season so come on out

and get your car washed while supporting a great cause! For

one week, CBS 5 Meteorologist Paul Horton will be

broadcasting live from Desert Ridge Marketplace as Big

Brothers Big Sisters of Central Arizona staff and

community volunteers roll up their sleeves and get soapy.

SAVE THE DATE

MATCH Numbers…

Current Active Matches:

Total: 969

Total Youth Served FYTD:

1036

Average Match Length:

Community based: 22 months

Site based: 15 months

Paul’s Car Wash

Monday, Oct 21st –

Friday Oct 25th, 2013

Desert Ridge Marketplace

(next to Barnes & Noble bookstore)

For more information contact

Events Manager

at jwhitney@bbbsaz.org

McFadden’s is opening a new bar and restaurant at Desert Ridge Marketplace and

partnering with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Arizona to help raise money to

support the agency.

When: Saturday, September 28th from 9pm-12am

Location: 21001 N. Tatum Blvd, Phoenix, AZ 85050

At the door anyone who donates $10.00 to BBBSAZ will receive a wrist band for

drink specials from a special menu. $1.00 will be donated if anyone orders from that

special menu. Additional donations accepted plus a raffle for a gift card! All money

raised by midnight will be given to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Arizona.

McFadden’s Grand Opening at Desert Ridge

Supports Big Brothers Big Sisters AZ

2

Match Spotlight:

Big Brother Dane and Little Brother Damien

“You could not have wiped the smiles off of our faces!”

My name is Dane and I have been matched with my little brother, Damien for a little over a year. Damien is 14 years old and lives with his mom and two younger brothers. So far the match has been great! We enjoy activities ranging from bowling to playing basketball. My little also plays football for his high school and made varsity this year! Being matched with Damien has truly been a blessing, as I have learned just as much from him as I hope he has from me. It’s funny because we look so much alike, some people ask if we are really brothers and we smile and tell them yes.

For our one year anniversary, I was hoping to do something cool with Damien, but I wasn’t sure exactly what. During this time our Program Specialist, Myrna told me about Arizona Cardinals tickets that were available on the Think Big website. I immediately went on and requested the tickets. After some effort and a little help from Myrna going beyond her call of duty, we were able to get the tickets!

The next day we were headed to the football game. I happened to glance down at the ticket price and was astonished when I saw that they were “high value” tickets, all of a sudden we got very excited. We

peeked around a corner and sure enough, we saw the 200 level seats, also known as “Club Level”. The gentlemen taking the tickets welcomed us and you would have thought we entered paradise. You could not have wiped the smiles off of our faces! We proceeded to our seats which were only two rows up and from there we could see the entire field, clear as day. Oh and did I mention that the “Club Level” has their own concession? It was truly the stuff dreams are made of. Needless to say, Damien and I had a blast on our one year anniversary and we owe it all to our Program Specialist, Myrna and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Arizona for all that they do!!

Are you a current Big? Don’t miss out on great activities using

Think Big! Visit www.bbbsaz.org/thinkbig and check it out now!

3

BOARD MEMBERS

Thank you to our dedicated

Board of Directors.

Bill Ross, Chairman

Tom Ambrose

Carolyn Andrews

Gina Barriga

Jon Bohnert

Swift Burch III

Cathy Chess

Kim Cofer

Robin Hanna

Michelle Hernandez

Paul Horton

Dave Howell

Tom Lewis

April Lane

Carlene Lowry

Ina F. Manaster

Lori Maxwell

George H. McNamara

Ted Meyer

Chuck Miiller

Todd Millsap

Chris Montgomery

Maryann Richardson

Smokey Rivers

Rachel Robertson

Jessica Taylor

Dick Todd

Dean Wegner

Jacque N. Westling

Dr. Christine Wilkinson

Harkins Theatres is a family owned and operated business, founded and

based in Arizona since 1933. Harkins Theatres has been dedicated to

helping others and giving back to the community. Rather than

receiving anything in celebration of their 80th birthday, Harkins is giving

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Arizona a gift instead. They will be

holding 2 private screenings for our Bigs and Littles to enjoy at 2 of their

locations. We are proud to be partnered with such a great organization

that does so much for the community!

Your donation to Big Brothers Big Sister of Central Arizona is

eligible for a WORKING POOR TAX CREDIT, lowering your tax

bill dollar for dollar.

Two Benefits from One Donation!

1. Get all that money back, dollar-for-dollar as a state tax

credit (WORKING POOR TAX CREDIT).

2. You can also write off the contribution as a charitable

donation on your federal income tax.

You can give up to:

$400 for married couples filing jointly, &

$200 for individuals filing as single

Donate by Mailing a Check or Cash:

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Arizona

1010 E. McDowell, Suite 400

Phoenix, AZ 85006

Donate Online: Go to www.bbbsaz.org

Change the Life of a Child While

Earning Up to $400 in Tax Credit!

4

BIG TIP OF THE MONTH

Q: School has started again and it seems like my Little is really struggling academically. I have worked

with my Little on homework in the past, but really think that he/she needs a tutor. Can I meet with my

Little more often and serve as a tutor for them?

A: Children in our program often need additional assistance with their academics. While it is important

to support and encourage your Little with regard to their education, it is not your role to tutor them. It

may be a good idea to discuss the child's challenges in school and share this with their parent or

guardian. In addition, encourage the child to talk about this with their teacher at school so they might

receive additional assistance from school staff. An occasional glance over homework or teaching a math

trick for memorization can be great fun, but also keep in mind that your role in your Little's life is to be a

friend and mentor - not a teacher."

Brought to you by Terri Waibel, MSW/Training & Child Safety Specialist

August “Big Thanks” Award Recipients

Big Sisters: Cassandra Smith, Katie Caufield, Nicole Liggett, Jessica Cotter, Suzanne Tveit, Cindy Mick, Luann Bone and Nashonna Frank Big Brothers: Kyle Fugit, Matt Watson, Steve White and Nick Karls Community Partner: Phoenix FC

A huge “shout out” to Port of Subs for becoming our new food partner for the Big Thanks events!

5

What’s new in 2014 in Health Care?

The Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare, calls for many changes that will give more Americans access to

healthcare. The new rules also affect the ways you can buy health insurance. Depending on your family size and how much you

earn, you may even get assistance with lowering your premiums and out-of-pocket costs.

Here are some of the most important changes that will take place for new individual and family plans with coverage starting in

2014. Many of these benefits apply to all plans. Because some may not apply if you get insurance through your job, check with your

employer to be sure what’s covered.

You have new rights to health benefits:

You’re guaranteed insurance coverage, whatever your health condition. If you are buying insurance on one of the new health

plans on the Marketplace, you can’t be turned down or charged more because you have a pre-existing medical condition,

like asthma, heart disease or cancer. Your policy can’t be cancelled if you get sick, either.

Essential Health Benefits** are included. Health insurance companies must offer a package of basic benefits in every policy, like doctor visits, prescription drugs, tests, and emergency care.

Plans include more than 60 free preventive care services. To keep you healthy or prevent you from getting sick, you’re cov-ered for things like flu shots, routine health tests or care for expectant mothers with no out-of-pocket* costs.

Adult children can stay on your policy longer. They can also join or return to their parents’ insurance plan until they turn 26, even if they’re married or living on their own.

You may benefit from new limits on insurance:

There are no yearly or lifetime limits on essential health benefits. Insurance companies can’t set a dollar limit on the amount of benefits they will spend to cover essential services each year, or for as long as you’re enrolled on the plan.

There’s also a cap on your out-of-pocket expenses. If you get sick or injured, there is a limit on the most you have to pay in a year for covered care. There are some exceptions to this, so make sure you ask.

You have new insurance choices:

Introducing a new place to buy insurance. The Health Insurance Marketplace—also called the Health Insurance Exchange—will be ready on October 1, 2013. The Marketplace is a new way to find health insurance. It allows you to compare insur-ance plans for yourself or for your family. (You can enroll in a plan on the Marketplace beginning in October 2013, but re-member it won’t kick in until January 2014.)

What you'll learn when you apply in the Health Insurance Marketplace The Health Insurance Marketplace, makes it easy for you to apply because it will have all of your choices in one place! You'll

find out if you can get lower costs on your monthly premiums and learn if you can have lower out-of-pocket costs. The Marketplace will also tell you if you can get free or low-cost health care through AHCCCS or KidsCare. You can go to https://www.healthcare.gov/marketplace/individual to create an account. This is the first step to take to get ready for October 1.

You may be able to get financial help. To apply for a subsidy*, you must purchase a plan on the Marketplace. Many Arizonans

will be eligible—find out more about premium tax credits and cost sharing and use the Blue Cross Blue Shield Savings Esti-

mator at https://www.azblue.com/individualsandfamilies under “Health Insurance 101”, to see if you might qualify.

Learn more…

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona has a lot of educational information about the Affordable Care Act. Go to our web site at www.azblue.com/coverage to learn more!

Healthcare.gov is the official site of the Health Insurance Marketplace.