As a youth as well as an adult, I recognize that I am in a fortunate position. My parents are still alive and living together. I have never been estranged from my extended family. I even get along well with my in-laws. So, for my entire life I have had a traditional - and very supportive - family.

Not everybody has that opportunity. Especially now, I realize just how many people do not have the same support and understanding at home. For some, it is because they are in a single parent household. Others are in blended families. Still others have significant rifts within their families.

Part of this is due to the highly mobile nature of our society. It makes it difficult to keep extended families together, and in some cases it can even pull apart nuclear families. Neighbors are not friends like they used to be, since the faces in a neighborhood change so regularly and quickly. The greatest tragedy of all of this mobility, is that when something happens within a family that is living together to cause problems, help may not be close by.

One organization that is trying to make a difference is Big Brothers/Big Sisters. They try to match up volunteer mentors one-on-one with a ‘Little’ - a child who can use another positive influence on their life. I have a Little who I have been matched with for a couple of years. It is a small commitment of time, but worth it for the friendship that has developed.

The program puts significant effort into the match process - both to weed out unsuitable or inappropriate mentors and to try to develop a good match that will last for years. From my limited experience, it works. K and I get along well and have many interests that match. It is certainly something that I want to continue on.

If you think that you can make a difference in somebody’s life, I encourage you to check out Big Brothers/Big Sisters. There are many Littles in the program who are waiting for a match - especially the boys. Somebody who can listen and let their Little know that they are valued can make all the difference in the world. Do you have it in you?

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