On Friday March 7, 2025, Big Brother Jeffrey Hunter was recognized with the 2025 Community Leadership Award at the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Gila River Indian Community 4th Annual Youth of the Year Banquet at Wild Horse Pass Resort & Casino.
Big Brother Jeff is currently matched in our site-based program at the Boys & Girls Club of Gila River Indian Community – Sacaton Branch and meets twice a month with his little brother. Our Gila River site-based program partners with the Boys & Girls Club and the Gila River Police Department to connect Gila River Police Department employees with youth in the Gila River Indian Community in mentoring relationships. Big Brother Jeffrey Hunter currently serves as GRPD Commander as well as being a dedicated volunteer mentor in the BBBS program.
Since 2017, Jeff has mentored three youth and in July 2019 was recognized at the Big Brothers Big Sisters quarterly Big Thanks event as an outstanding volunteer. In January 2020, Jeff was recognized as the BBBSAZ Site-Based Big Brother of the Year. In April 2024, Jeff served as a panelist on our Innovative Programming panel at our agency Statewide Association meeting, speaking specifically about “Bigs with Badges”. Jeff shared with attendees the benefits to both officers and youth/community through mentor partnerships with law enforcement. Jeff has also been a vital part of planning a Safety Day event hosted at the Boys & Girls Club the past couple years, rallying local first responders for an opportunity to interact directly with the community through an educational and fun opportunity.
Jeff has been a dependable, innovative, compassionate, and committed mentor, officer and youth/community advocate. His little brothers have described him as “nice and funny” and enjoy simple activities like playing board games while chatting and laughing with him. Jeff expressed his appreciation for the recognition, “I want to give thanks to the community, I have worked for/with the Gila River community for the past 25 years and have enjoyed supporting our young people who are our future leaders”.
