In our lives, each of us shared an important connection with someone who broadened our horizons and brought a little magic into our lives.
It was the person who taught you to throw that perfect spiral, or sat in the front row to cheer you on, even when it was embarrassing. These are the little moments that Big Brothers and Big Sisters experience every day.
These real life stories are just a few of the ways Big Brothers Big Sisters is changing lives and communities forever.
Big Brother Dave and Little Brother Tim
Dave and Tim have been matched for just over 8 years. They were first matched when Tim was six years old. Timothy's father tragically died in a plane crash when he was just a baby and his mom thought a Big Brother would be beneficial for her son. Having a Big Brother around for so many years has meant a lot to Tim and his family. Over the years Dave has seen several positive changes in his Little Brother's life. He has more interests and hobbies since being matched and his academics have improved. Dave enjoys spending time with Tim going to sporting events (especially Tim’s Allstar baseball games) and just palling around running errands. They enjoy getting out to see what Alaska has to offer from the snow sculptures at Fur Rondy to Alaska Aces games. If you ask Tim what is favorite activity has been he would tell you about how Dave took him to San Francisco to watch the Braves vs. Giants baseball game. Mary, Tim’s mom said the match is, “perfect, absolutely perfect”.
Big Sister Lisa and Little Sister Heather
Lisa and Heather were matched in the community-based program in October of 2003. The year before Heather lost he mother to cancer and her dad thought it would be a good idea for her to have another caring female in her life. That's when BBBS introduced Lisa to Heather. These two have a lot in common, even down to the fact that Lisa also lost her mother to cancer. Lisa shared that these two try to spend every Mother's Day together in order to remember how wonderful their mothers were. Since their first meeting these two have grown very close. They enjoy shopping, going to movies, getting manicures, bowling, eating "weird" foods, and taking weeked trips together.
Big Sister Robin and Little Sister Brooke
Robin and Brooke celebrated their 3rd year anniversary this year. Robin and Brooke have formed an unbreakable friendship since being matched. Robin has helped Brooke through tough family situations and Brooke’s dad said he can’t thank her enough. Robin has enjoyed becoming a part of Brooke’s family and being there for all the special events in her life. Brooke said her favorite thing about being matched is having her Big Sister become a member of her family because she never knew a Big Sister could be that close to her. They like to go out to eat, see movies, and talk a lot about life and school. From Little Sister’s standpoint, the match is, “Awesome!”.
Making a difference at McLaughlin Youth Center
In February of 2008, we received a referral for a Little Brother at McLaughlin Youth Center. He was in the highest security unit, and, like many residents, his story is a sad one. He’d had no visitors since he came to McLaughlin in August of 2007. Several years ago he had worked with an ACS staff member in Anchorage and wanted to be matched with this man. He knew the man was a Big Brother because he had seen him wearing his Big Brothers Big Sisters t-shirt at work. Coincidentally, this man was still a volunteer with our agency, and was actually a Big Brother at McLaughlin. His match had just closed and he was waiting until the summer to be matched with another Little. When we called to see if he was willing to be rematched earlier, and told him about the resident who had specifically requested him, he said “it would be impossible to say no.” He said he had always wondered how this young man was doing. When we matched them, Little Brother couldn’t stop grinning and shaking our hands: you can imagine that teens in McLaughlin tend not to be overly excited when they meet their Bigs for the first time. This match met every week until the Little Brother was transferred to another youth facility at the end of the year. Of his time with his Big Brother, Little Brother stated, “Every time he came in, I got happy. Doesn’t feel like I’m by myself or I don’t know anybody. When he comes in, I get a smile . . . I didn’t have anybody in Anchorage to talk to, but I can talk to him.” Although they no longer see each other regularly, they continue to stay in touch.
Big Couple Ryan & Jessica and Little Brother Michael
Ryan and Jessica were matched as a couple to their Little Brother, Michael, when Michael was only 6 years old. Now Michael is 16 and the match is still going strong! Ryan and Jessica have recently been teaching Michael to drive. “I think he’s going to be an excellent driver!” reports Ryan. Michael frequently spends the evening with Ryan and Jessica’s family. They have dinner together, watch a movie, or just talk. Ryan and Jessica say they are very proud of Michael’s achievements: he excels academically and is a good athlete. Michael is planning to go to college, so Ryan and Jessica have been helping him look at colleges and plan. “It’s been an incredible experience watching him grow up and change so much. We didn’t realize when we signed up ten years ago that we’d still be in the program today, but we’re glad we are!” says Jessica.
Big Sister Nadine and Little Sister Samantha
When her employer began allowing workers to take one hour a week to mentor a child at school, Nadine signed up to be a Big Sister. She was matched with Little Sister, Samantha, in March of this year, and already Samantha’s teachers have seen a huge difference in her behavior: Samantha used to have absences from school every week, but since she was matched with her Big Sister, her attendance has drastically improved. Nadine sees Samantha each week, but doesn’t tell her ahead of time which day she is going to visit. Samantha has gone to school every day for three weeks straight, because she doesn’t want to miss Nadine’s visits. Way to go Samantha and Nadine. Keep up the good work!
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