Meg & Mel
“Strangers are Friends Waiting to Happen”
For 5 years Mel and Meg have been matched as a Big Sister and Little Sister with each other. Mel’s initial impression of Meg was, “this tiny girl bursting with energy!” Now that 5 years have passed Meg is still bursting with energy, but much taller! Mel and Meg enjoy a variety of special memories including skating in the winter and celebrating Halloween together. Since Mel was a little girl herself, every year her mom throws a huge Halloween party for the family. There are crazy costumes, spooky decorations, pumpkin carving and delicious goodie bags for everyone. This is the fifth year running that Meg has attended the awesome Halloween party with Mel. Not only has it become a tradition that the girls look forward to sharing together each year but Meg has become part of Mel’s family.
Mel first got interested in Big brothers Big Sisters through her old job with United Way where she decided to begin volunteering, “I looked through the list and when I saw BBBS I knew that was exactly what I wanted to do. I’ve had such great mentors in my life; it was my turn to give back.” Since becoming a Big Sister Mel has learned many important life lessons from her Little Sister. “I’ve learned that children in our community need role models and that the more positive role models they have in their life, the more likely they will succeed. These kids are the future generation – we need to step up and let them know that people in their community care about them.”
Mel’s advice toward people who are looking to become a Big brother Big Sister is, “I would tell them that the time to become a Big Sister or Brother is right now. It doesn’t take up too much time and the feeling that you get after time spent with you little is magical. I would also assure them that they will probably get as much or more out the match than their little.”
One thing people often wonder is what kind of support Big Brothers Big Sisters offers once you’ve decided to become part of one of our programs. When asked Mel’s reply was, “The training was exceptional, Big brothers Big Sisters prepared us for everything and anything that might happen. The ongoing support from case workers is also great, I always feel supported.”
Congratulations Mel & Meg on a fantastic friendship! We hope you have a spooktacular time at your Halloween Party this year and that you send us more pictures so we can share them with everyone else!