Local volunteer wins Big Brothers Big Sisters award
Heidi Nevala
Robert Reid, communications manager at Washington & Jefferson College, is shown with Sara Thomas, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Pittsburgh program manager for Washington and Greene counties.
Heidi Nevala of of Mt. Lebanon was recognized as the Washington County Advisory Board Member of the Year in a ceremony for the Big Brothers Big Sisters Greater Pittsburgh Chapter last week at the James Street Speakeasy in East Allegheny.
Nevala started working with Big Brothers Big Sisters with her husband and joined the Washington County Advisory Board in 2010 to help plan events, reach out to the community and raise money for the organization. Working with children has always been important to Nevala.
“As a former teacher, it was kind of a no-brainer,” she said.
While she doesn’t work directly with the children in her role with the advisory board, she is able to attend some of the events she helps plan, including a recent Christmas party at Washington & Jefferson College. All the behind-the-scenes work becomes worth it after seeing the children at the events.
“The looks on their faces when they’re with their ‘bigs,’ you can really see the love between the two,” she said.
Nevala said the most rewarding part of working with Big Brothers Big Sisters is seeing the “littles” perform better in school, both on report cards and on attendance sheets, which ultimately helps the children attend college and end up in a position where they can give back. The bigs have a truly lasting impact on the littles. She said she is happy to play a role in a child’s development.
“I feel like I’m such a small part for as much as (Big Brothers Big Sisters) do, and I just appreciate the opportunity to be a small part of it,” she said.
Nevala and other award winners were recognized by Pittsburgh City Council Dec. 16, prior to the award ceremony the following evening. She said she is truly honored and humbled to have received the award and is excited to continue planning events for Big Brothers Big Sisters.
Additionally, BBBS recognized Washington & Jefferson College as the BIG Community Partner of the Year.
W&J students have partnered with BBBS since 2007, mentoring students from the Trinity and Washington school districts. There have been 306 W&J students matched with little brothers and sisters during the past five and a half years.
The BBBS program manager for Washington and Greene Counties, Sara Thomas, who helped spearhead the partnership between BBBS and the college, said the W&J students have made a lasting impact on the entire county by mentoring children from the area.
“It’s really about the ripple effect,” she said. “You pour into one child, and that changes that child, then they change their family, who changes a neighborhood, who changes a community, which eventually changes the course of the the future of the whole county.”
Justin Dandoy, W&J’s director of community relations, said the partnership between BBBS and the college has become the most popular volunteering experience for W&J students. The college was happy to be recognized for close relations with BBBS.
“It was really for both of us,” he said. “It was nice to get recognition for our good partnership. They’re really open to allowing our students to volunteer, and our students have really made a lasting impact on the community.”