After waiting almost a year, Maddy finally got her Big Sister through the Big Brothers/Big Sisters program. The reason for the long wait was because we wanted a woman, we wanted her to be African-American, and we wanted her to be between the ages of 25-40.
While the wait was long, Maddy is super excited to finally have a BIG. They had their first "outing" today to Barnes & Nobles and Red Lobster. I've alway encouraged my students who graduate to sign up to be a big because so many kids out there just need that little extra attention.
We want Maddy to have someone else she can relate to since she's now at that age where everything Mom and Dad says has to be wrong, right? Any other parents experiencing that?
Plus living in our area, she doesn't really have any friends that look like her, and we feel that piece is critical for her feeling a better sense of self. This woman is a Christian and has two daughters of her own, and is excited about making a difference in another child's life.
We have our fingers crossed that this will be long lasting and enriching relationship.
When we interviewed with the BB/BS of Long Island they told us that it's not just on the island but it is very difficult every where to find African-American/Latino men and women who are under the age of 50 to volunteer to be Bigs for our children. If you know of good hearted people who fit this criteria and enjoy working with children, please encourage them to become a Big. It's an additional relationship that can be forged with our children to motivate them to stay on the positive track. A profound way to make a difference in the hearts of young boys and girls.
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