Recently, Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) SEPA’s CEO, Marcus Allen, gathered
distinguished guests together at Capital Grille in Center City
Philadelphia for an Evening of Networking with Philadelphia’s Most
Influential Men of Color.

Reggie
Waller, Todd Rose, Bruce Lee Sterile, Thomas Bennett and Marcus

Marcus (r) talked about the importance of moving
Philadelphia forward, one mentor at a time. All men in attendance
committed to bringing five African American men to a January event held at Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse, 2 weeks ago, which is where these photos are from, the snow delayed the publishing of these photos.

Carmen Tedesco, GM Del Frisco’s Steakhouse gives Marcus Allen

a check for $2,000 on behalf of Del Frisco’s

Jennifer Upton, Colleen Mahoney, Nicole Roy

Marcus Allen tells me that “At
Big Brothers Big Sisters SEPA, our mission is to provide children
facing adversity with strong and enduring, professionally supported
one-to-one mentoring relationships
that change their lives for the better, forever. In 2013, we served
2,987 children in Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia
Counties. However, as you learned, we have more than 1,000 children on
our waiting list for mentors, mainly African American
boys, and we need your help.”

Ann
Voong, Jin Hee Park, and Jay Hay

Colleen Mahoney and Jennifer Upton

Sabrina Praj, Joe Crimaldi and Marina Yolppha of Boyd’s Clothing

Marcus Allen tells me Philly needs to step up and help our young men, if you can spare the time or support the BBBS SEPA contact them. We can create a future for these young men.

Elizabeth Caldarola and Ashley Reid

Sixers Jason Richardson and Stacey Kracher

DA Seth Williams talks about the importance of being a mentor, and the mentors that made a difference in his life.

After the speeches were done, the DA put his money where his mouth was and he signed up to be a Big Brother, while Baba Renfrow, Licensed Agent at New York Life Insurance Company waited in line to sign up too.

Michele Jackson, Crystal Thompson and Darwin R. Beauvais,
‎Shareholder at Zarwin Baum

Dr
Deborah Finley and Larry Boynton

Allison Smith and Aida Sparta

Jason Nicolais
I
was thrilled to learn that more than two dozen of you signed up for
more information about becoming a Big Brother or Big Sister. A staff
member will be in contact with those
individuals shortly to move forward in the process. If you have
additional friends or family members interested in becoming Bigs,
please ask them to contact us at
215.790.9200 or fill out at application at www.bbbssepa.org/volunteer. – Marcus Allen