From Austin to La Vista: A Big Brother's Impact Across Communities
For nearly two decades, Jonathan has been committed to making a difference as a Big Brother through Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas in Austin, TX. While his official match is in another state, Jonathan’s impact reaches far beyond Texas, right here in the Omaha metro as well.
Jonathan is the owner of Float District, a wellness center in La Vista that offers various relaxation and recovery therapies designed to reduce stress and enhance overall well-being. These therapies include float therapy, infrared saunas, cold plunge therapy, salt therapy, red light therapy, and vibroacoustic therapy. Due to his business, Jonathan frequently travels between Austin and Omaha, allowing him to stay connected to both communities.
Wanting to give back locally, Jonathan recently extended a generous discount to Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Midlands. He provided BBBS staff with 50% off all Float District services, along with a specialty coupon for one free select service. That generosity didn’t stop there; he also wanted to extend the same 50% discount to BBBS mentors in the Omaha area.
“I have loved being a part of my Little Brother’s life, and his whole family has become an extension of my own,” Jonathan shared. “I travel between Austin and Omaha a lot because of Float District, and while I can’t give back directly to the BBBS agency in Texas right now, I wanted to do something meaningful for the local agency here.”
Jonathan says he was inspired by the passion he sees in BBBS staff every day.
"Everyone that I have met who works for BBBS truly loves their job and has a passion for helping kids, as well as making the overall community better. They put so much of themselves into the betterment of the youth that they all deserve some relaxation and time to recover. I believe that if they are allowed to take some time to reset themselves, they can return even better for the kids."
Jonathan believes that mentorship is important by saying, "I have seen firsthand what can happen to kids who do not have positive role models in their lives. Just having someone in their lives to talk with or do things with that isn’t expecting anything from them in return, lets Littles know that the whole world isn’t against them. A mentor doesn’t have to be a professional athlete or rich; simply spending time and being there for the Little has a huge impact.
For him personally, Jonathan says "To me, the BBBS mentorship program is not just for the Littles, but also for the mentors. I think it gives us a reason to be better versions of ourselves because we want to be the best possible influence on the Littles in our lives. Being a mentor has been a great outlet for me, not just to help the Little I was matched with, but also to get more involved in the community through the various events that BBBS hosts throughout the year. Doing the different match activities with my Little that they would never have had the opportunity to do otherwise has been amazing. BBBS has provided us with a variety of events, including private skateboard-making and riding classes, sailing, flight simulator experiences, and even a meeting with the Mayor of Austin, among others.
flying pilot simulators, and even a meeting with the mayor of Austin, among others.
Personally, being a mentor has given me the much-needed responsibility of being someone for my Little Brother to look up to. Professionally, as a manager running a variety of teams, it is a constant reminder that my actions during the workday are seen by everyone I interact with. This makes my workday more productive and hopefully a better manager for those I work with."
Jonathan’s story is a powerful reminder that mentorship creates ripples far beyond a single match, impacting families, workplaces, and entire communities.
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