Wanted you guys to meet Joe, a local guy who is in the Big Brothers Program. I sent him a few questions about his experience and he answered them in a couple of paragraphs that I think you guys should read.
I joined the program 18 years ago as a little. My big brother (Chas) and I were matched when I was ten or eleven and have remained very close ever since. We still get together two or three times a month and have a great time. I lost my father when I was four to a car crash and my mother thought a male role model was important, and it was. Chas has been a father, brother, mentor, best friend and more. Which brings me to why I joined. I have had a great life so far and having Chas has had a great impact on me. So, now it’s time that I give back and help someone as much as I have been helped. I love kids and the BBBS program, so it was only natural I join and help out as much as I can. I was ready for the challenge last year, when I joined as a big. There are good days with my little and there are bad days with my little (Dante). The challenge is there and now I know what Chas was talking about when he said its not always easy. But we have fun and do things we both like doing. I show him things he might not get to see on his own and we share alot of laughs, good times and quality learning time. It’s not just him learning from me. It’s me learning just as much because he is so unique. I think that is what makes the program so great. Being a little brother was great, but the other side of the coin is even better. Watching Dante do something for the first time or hearing him tell a story or just having some good laughs is the most rewarding thing to me. Watching him smile and grow is the core of why I think people join. Knowing that you had a little to do with that process is one of the greatest feelings ever!
I have been blessed with experience at BBBS. I can tell you how rewarding it is only because I been apart of it. It does take hard work and dedication, but it is all worth it.