Meet a Match: Margie & Matthew

 Margie & Matthew 

Big Brothers Big Sisters of North Durham’s (BBBSND) Executive Director, Margaret (Margie) Ayres, took on the responsibility of being a mentor to Matthew in March 2013. “I wanted a better understanding of how the programs benefited the children and ultimately, I wanted to be a mentor for the same reason as everyone else: I wanted to support a child in our community” says Margie. 

Margie and Matthew started out in the In-School Mentoring (ISM) program in the last few months of Matthew’s grade 6 year. During their time together, they’ve done a bunch of different activities including cooking pizzas and baking cookies, painting bird houses for Father’s Day, playing hangman and Dogopoly, playing basketball, and sometimes just sitting and chatting. Margie’s favourite pastime in their match is when Matthew is putting together a Lego sculpture “he’s so good at it, reading all the instructions carefully, and patient with it, too, unlike me” says Margie. Margie thinks Matthews favourite thing to do is play Dogopoly “because he always wins and takes all my Monopoly money” Margie jokes.

Margie says she likes spending time with Matthew because he’s very appreciative of her coming every week and he’s always so polite. “He’s also got quite the sense of humour, he’s quite sarcastic, but always making me laugh,” says Margie. Margie explains that Matthew’s dad is also very kind to her “Every time I call Matthew’s dad, he’s always very thankful for me hanging out with Matthew, and so that’s really nice to hear.”

In July of 2015, Margie and Matthew semi-transitioned to the Traditional Program, meaning that she mainly sees him once a week in the school, but she can see him in the summer outside of school. Their first Traditional outing was to Joyride 150 on Matthew’s birthday! Margie brought her son and a couple of his friends to ride around with Matthew. Margie said they rode their bikes around for 7 hours and they all loved it! Margie plans on bringing Matthew along to a lot of BBBSND events so that he can see what it means to give back to the community.

When asked about what kind of relationship she thinks they have, Margie said that they are friends. She has fun with him and can count on him, and vice versa. “I think he really enjoys it when I come see him. He always wants me to stay longer than the 1 hour I’m supposed to stay,” says Margie.  

Even though Matthew has recently been matched with a Big Brother who has more time to spend with him outside of school, Margie and Matthew are going to continue seeing each other in school, as well as occasionally outside of school.

If you're interested in learning more information about our mentoring programs, please call Cheryl Holmes at 905-985-3733 ext 2.    

Photos were taken by the amazing Daniel Cullen. 

Guest Blogger: Big Brother Dave Stell

 

Written by Dave Stell

Hey, I know what you are thinking. "I don't have time." or "I don't have anything to offer as a 'Big'".

You are only fooling yourself, my friend.

As a Big Brother/Sister, or a mentor, you have the time and believe me, as far as these kids are concerned, you definitely will make a difference in their lives.

I have a crazy schedule most weeks. Two teen kids of my own with activities, my own sports and other volunteer work. So when I signed up years ago, I was concerned about the time. But the mentor program made it easy. One hour a week. I started out just visiting my little brother during my lunch hour. It didn't take much time and my employer supported it 100 per cent. It looks good on the company if the staff volunteer! So what's a little longer lunch once a week to them?

There, that's settled. Now what do you have to offer? Just show up and be a friend. Listen. Play. That's all. And they will love it. Having another adult to care enough about them to show up and care is HUGE.

Big Brothers/Sisters does a great job of matching you up with a 'little' with the same interests. I'm a sports nut, and through many school years now, I've played so much one-on-one dodgeball and floor hockey. And I've enjoyed every minute. It's fun, not work.

Come on. Step up and help out. There's a child out there waiting for your friendship.

I love being a Big Brother mentor.

-Dave Stell 

If you're interested in learning more information about our mentoring programs, please call Cheryl Holmes at 905-985-3733 ext 2.  

Meet a Match: Becky & Hailey

 

Becky & Hailey

Big Brothers Big Sisters of North Durham’s very own Mentoring Coordinator, Becky Lawlor, started mentoring Hailey a little over a year ago, in the In-School Mentoring (ISM) Program when Hailey was in grade 4. About 4 months ago, Becky and Hailey have transitioned to the Traditional Mentoring Program, which means that they can see each other outside of school, as well as in the school. Their favourite activities to do together in the school include playing on the playground, playing board games, making up their own games, and playing sports. Outside of the school, they like to go shopping, play mini-putt, and visit with Becky’s 3 dogs.

“Becky is a lot of fun. Since I don’t have any siblings, she’s definitely a role model for me,” says Hailey. Becky’s favourite part of their match is just spending time together and seeing how happy Hailey is whenever they are together. “I look forward to our time together and I’ve found that I’m happier on days when I’m going to see her. Hailey brightens my day.”

When I asked Hailey what she thinks she’s getting out of the program, she says “Becky has really been helping me get along with my peers. She also helps me set goals in school which really help.”

When I asked Becky what she gets out of the relationship, she said “I get to know Hailey on a deep level and I like knowing that we’ve made a lasting connection.” Since it’s obvious that both girls like spending time together, this summer is full of possibilities for their bi-weekly visits.

From a Big Brothers Big Sisters point of view, Hailey said the magic words to me; the words we always like to hear from our mentees: “Becky is amazing. She’s not only a mentor to me, she’s like an older sister.”

If you're interested in learning more information about our mentoring programs, please call Cheryl Holmes at 905-985-3733 ext 2. 

Guest Blogger: Big Sister Lauren Walker

Written by Lauren Walker

What does it take to be a Big Sister?

Nothing special.

What kind of person can be a Big Sister?

Anyone.

What skills do you need to be a Big Sister?

Nothing in particular.

Will one day a week really make a difference?

Absolutely.

    These are the questions I asked myself before I became an in-school mentor back in 2012. The lesson I learned was that you never know until you try. I always thought you needed to have some special quality in order to make a difference. Turns out all the skills you really need, you already possess.

                That’s the thing about spending time with a child. You’ll soon learn they are very accepting and only expect you to be yourself. You don’t need to wear fancy clothes or have a high paying job to share what you know. You don’t need to be any particular age to share your experiences. For me it’s as simple as taking the time out of your day to make a positive change. Every child needs a friend to talk to and to have someone listen. It’s really just as simple as that.

                Just imagine when you were a kid. How awesome would it have been to have someone like that in your life? We’ve all struggled. There were times we could have used a friend to help us. Being a child today is a lot harder than we realize. The world is ever changing and the one thing that can be a constant for these kids is you. The time you spend together is the one thing they look forward to because they just get to be themselves too.

                I wish I had become a Big Sister a long time ago. I waited and hesitated because I didn’t really think I could do it. I believe that change really does start with one person. It could start with you making that choice to do something like this. You really do have the power to change and impact someone’s life. Don’t hesitate. Just imagine that one day a week you spend will contribute to building a child’s self confidence. When they grow up they will look back and remember that you, a perfect stranger, cared enough to make time for them. They will remember that you believed in them. It takes one person to set a child on the right course in life.

                Everyone has the power to be a role model. It’s a ripple effect. When you make a positive difference in a child’s life, you will inspire them to do the same for others. It’s one small way of making the world a better place. It all starts with you.

Lauren Walker

Big Sister Since 2012 

If you're interested in learning more information about our mentoring programs, please call Cheryl Holmes at 905-985-3733 ext 2.