|
 Home > Volunteers > Match Stories
Annette and Tiffany
Though I knew I could never replace her father, nor could I ever diminish that pain, I wanted Tiffany to know that I would be there to support her through this difficult time. I am touched most by the day we were interviewed by National Public Radio because it helped me learn a lot about how she and her family were coping with the effect of September 11th. I remember her mom saying that when Tiffany returns home after our match activities, she has a special glow on her face and that my support has been helping her. I am glad to know that she is making her best effort to maintain good grades in school and is participating in extra-curricular activities. I even watched how beautifully she performed at her dance recital. Whether its climbing the monkey bars at the park, driving bumper cars, or laughing at the funny scene in a movie, having Tiffany in my life is a reminder of the innocence that a child brings into this world and the influence an adult can have in shaping the life of that child. Her lively spirit makes me a child again. Eileene and Rakshinda
Eileene is an example of someone who has overcome the same struggles as me. She's an example of how I can maintain a connection with my heritage, while maintaining a sense of independence. Like her's, my parents expected me to become a doctor AND a millionaire and I’ve faced many challenges in trying to balance their expectations of me against my desire for independence. I want to be open to other cultural influences. I have greater opportunities to succeed than my parents did, but I'm also expected to hold on to my traditional values and customs which can clash at times. One great experience was when Eileene took me to a surrealism exhibit. I was astonished at how certain works of art were so frightening and so beautiful at the same time. She also took me to my first Broadway musical, Les Miserables. I felt for the characters and I was excited to be a part of Broadway history by going. Eileene also exposed me to a cappella music, which I practically listen to every day now. I took her to a fabulous Jackson Heights restaurant for the best Indian food she’s ever had and exposed her to Hindi music, which she enjoys immensely. We’ve both enjoyed new experiences and a friendship that will last a lifetime. This organization has done a lot for me and it's influenced me to become a Big Sister in the future, maybe in the New American Partnership Program that I was a part of. Steven and Anahad
Anahad had never been outside of his neighborhood and did not care much about school. When matched in the Traditional Mentoring Program, Anahad was overwhelmed by his Big Brother and didn’t speak for their first three get-togethers. But, over time, Anahad began to open up. They explored the city; attended sporting events and group activities arranged through BBBS of NYC; and since pizza was Anahad’s favorite food, pursued the goal of eating at every pizzeria in the city. Along with the fun, Steven would impress upon Anahad the importance of school as the way to achieve success in life. Anahad took his Big Brother’s words to heart and began trying harder in school. With Steven’s inspiration, support and guidance, Anahad went on to become valedictorian of his high school class and received a New York Times Scholarship. He was the recipient of the Ron Brown Fellowship, and was also awarded a four-year scholarship to Yale University. Anahad went on to become a staff columnist at the New York Times (the first NYT Scholarship recipient to become a staff writer at the newspaper). He currently writes a weekly column for the Science Times section, and is also a published author. Reflecting back, Anahad attributes Steven’s presence in his life as a driving force behind his success. "Steven was the one, steady, positive force in my life that I could count on,” he explains. And when Anahad was recently interviewed on “Good Morning America” about his book, it was no surprise who he called afterwards to get feedback. Andre and Michael
“At first, Michael didn’t speak to me, and wouldn’t make eye contact. I would ask him questions like, ‘Do you like school?’ or ‘What are you doing for the summer?’ and he either wouldn’t answer, or would just give one-word responses...He also would suddenly speak in Chinese to other students in the program, making me feel even further apart from him,” notes Andre. Michael wondered if it was possible for two such different people to actually bond. A month later, they had a breakthrough when Michael observed a photograph on Andre’s desk of his mother and her boyfriend. Andre shared with Michael that his own mother was a single parent. By recognizing they had a similar parental situation and a strong sense of family, they found a way to connect. As they communicated more, Andre learned that Chinese culture considered it disrespectful for a child to look directly into the eyes of an adult and he understood why Michael looked away from him when they talked. When they first met, Michael played Chinese poker with Andre. Andre always lost. “When I admitted I didn’t know the rules, Michael taught me, and now I beat him about half the time. The law of averages is the same for all of us,” Andre explains. The two now see beyond their differences and focus on what they have in common—a deeper understanding and respect.
Joanne and Sabrina
On the first day of the new program year, they were so excited to see each other that Sabrina walked into the room with a huge hug for Joanne. Each week Sabrina is one of the first Littles to stand outside the program room door, patiently waiting for Joanne to arrive. The quiet, shy Sabrina was transformed into a very talkative, open and confident young girl. She is always first to raise her hand to present during program. She has even become quite the comedian and is always making people laugh. At one of the last program days this year the BBBS of NYC Program Manager asked the graduating elementary school students, “If you could take 3 things with you to your new school what would they be?” Sabrina’s first reply was her Big Sister Joanne. Joanne had tears in her eyes as Sabrina read this aloud in front of the entire group. At that moment Joanne was able to hear loud and clear how much she has meant to Sabrina during the past 2 years. Emily and Melissa
Over the next few months, Emily and Melissa slowly got to know each other during their outings, and learned that they had quite a bit in common, like they both needed to work on their bowling skills. But most importantly, during these early months they were able to open up and talk about more than just superficial topics. Melissa was able to express some of the challenges that she faced balancing her role as a young mother and a freshman in high school. Sometimes she had to choose between missing classes and taking her baby to the doctor, and while she was a dutiful mother, her grades suffered. The two talked about Melissa’s dream of becoming an obstetrician, and how important it is to finish high school. Melissa is now doing well in school and proudly working on completing a program to become a nurse’s assistant. Emily is constantly impressed by what a patient and loving mother she is to her now two year-old son. One of Emily’s proudest moments was during a BBBS of NYC camping trip. She and Melissa worked together to cross a rope bridge suspended 30 feet in the air. Melissa’s constant encouragement was the only thing that got Emily across to the other side. Emily couldn’t help but remark on the symbolic nature of the exercise. They had both refused to let each other fall literally, but their relationship had grown so strong that they wouldn’t let each other fall figuratively either. Harry and Patrick
When Harry met Patrick in the spring of 2006, Patrick was very shy and withdrawn. It took several get-togethers for him to trust his new Big Brother, Harry. They bonded over sports, attending baseball and basketball games, and slowly built up a friendship. After three months, Patrick started to open up and sought advice about school, friends, and his situation at home. Early on in their match, Patrick spent a full night out. When he didn’t come home, his panicked mother called Harry, who spoke to Patrick immediately after the incident. He explained to Patrick that he not only worried his mother by not calling, but also was violating his parole and jeopardizing his future. His talk with Patrick was effective, and there has never been another incident like this. Patrick is no longer cutting school and has made many new friends through his participation in team sports. As he develops a higher level of self-esteem, he is starting to think about his future. Harry is helping Patrick learn about possible careers and explore various options. Patrick is becoming much more focused on potential opportunities and he says one thing is for sure – his future will definitely include his Big Brother Harry. Geoffrey and Michael
Before being matched with his mentor, Michael (who was diagnosed with ADHD) had both behavior problems and trouble in school. He spent his weekends at home sitting in front of the TV, with an uncertain future. Geoffrey observed after spending time with Michael that his behavior problems stemmed from boredom and untapped intelligence. Together with Michael’s guardian and BBBS of NYC Case Manager, Geoffrey helped Michael obtain a proper evaluation, which eventually eliminated the need for his medications. Today, the two have a strong bond. Without Geoffrey, Michael would still be an untapped talent that spent his days troubled, isolated and alone. Through the power of mentoring, Michael has a chance at a normal and more balanced life. He has someone with whom he can explore new worlds, helping him tap into his talents and interests, and assisting him in building his self-esteem and interpersonal relationships. Kevin and Brandon
One day, a woman made a surprise visit to the firehouse to introduce herself. It was
Brandon’s mother. Unbeknownst to Kevin, he was actually leaning on Brandon’s
father’s memorial plaque at that exact moment. He immediately agreed to become
Brandon’s Big Brother. Now eleven, Brandon talks more about sports, friends and girls. Kevin knew Brandon was going to be fine when Kevin phoned and Brandon said he couldn’t meet--he already had plans with his buddies. The selfless deeds of heroes, surviving and lost, pulled the city through September 11th. Perhaps most evident in Kevin and Brandon’s match is that just being there for someone can in itself be an act of heroism.
Since matched with his Big Brother Ron in September 2006, Edward has enjoyed attending BBBS of NYC events as well as visiting the Museum of Natural History and different local parks. Ron has attended several training workshops provided by BBBS of NYC for volunteers mentoring special needs children so he can be a great Big Brother to Edward. When first matched, Ron was alarmed because Edward was not using his walker and helmet on the weekends. Since Edward’s disease makes him prone to falling and possibly hurting himself, Ron was concerned for his safety. With the help of BBBS of NYC’s Case Manager and Ron, Edward has increased his self confidence and always uses his walker and helmet on the weekends. Through the power of mentoring, Edward now feels more comfortable going out into the community using his walker and helmet. Now, Ron has been working with Edward’s school to prevent future bullying and helping Edward and his mother advocate for more support services at his school. Dr. Chavda and Jose
During his residency, Dr. Chavda became fearful as he witnessed inner-city youth who lacked a strong family foundation, many of whom were involved with street violence. He saw a regular flow of youth with gunshot wounds, young pregnant girls, and drug abuse - and no way to stop these problems, because so many of these youth lacked family guidance to prevent them from getting into trouble or hurting others. “You don’t see such problems in India,” Dr. Chavda explains, “even with the poor. When you see the children in the hospital who don’t have that family force to help them accept society’s values, you become afraid of what can happen to them, and what they’ll do.” Dr. Chavda was very concerned with the influences that can shape a child’s life from the earliest stages and believed that family influences are critical for the healthy growth of children. So, he joined the doctors in his unit and become a Big Brother to a neighborhood youth. Dr. Chavda was surprised at what he learned about his Little, Jose. Besides wanting to be a paramedic, Jose, who lives in a single-parent home, had set other positive goals for himself but had no idea how to achieve them. Dr. Chavda impressed upon him the importance of finishing school and avoiding street violence as a first step. Through his mentoring relationship with Jose, Dr. Chavda began seeing the neighborhood youth differently. He no longer feared these young people and started to recognize their potential.
|
When I met my Little
Sister, Tiffany, we bonded instantly. Being that we are both Guyanese-American of Indian decent,
I quickly discovered that we both liked the same music and movies. Unfortunately, Tiffany lost her
father in the tragic events of 
I
immigrated from Bangladesh when I was three years old and just recently turned 16. I’m like
my Big Sister Eileene, who is a first-generation Filipino-American.
An incredibly shy boy living with his single mom and six siblings in a housing project, Anahad
had no idea what to expect from Steven, a 34-year-old finance professional.
When Andre, a 26-year-old, Caucasian Ivy-League graduate working at American Express, decided to
become a volunteer in his company’s 
When Joanne and Sabrina met for the first time at PS 183 in October 2006 through BBBS of NYC of
NYC’s 
When 25-year-old Emily and 13-year-old Melissa were matched in BBBS of NYC’s
Patrick, cutting school regularly and hanging with a tough crowd, was only 15 years old when he
was arrested and spent time in a Juvenile Detention Facility. When he was released, Patrick’s
mother hoped that participating in BBBS of NYC’s 
Abandoned by his parents, Michael lived in several different foster homes since the age of two.
At five years old, he was placed with an 85-year-old handicapped foster care guardian and led an
extremely sheltered life due to his guardian’s age. Then, he was matched with Big Brother
Geoffrey in BBBS of NYC’s 
Kevin was working as a teacher when two of his students lost parents on 9/11. Compelled to act,
he became a full-time NYC Firefighter and joined BBBS of NYC’s 
12-year-old Edward, diagnosed with Machado-Joseph Disease (a rare hereditary condition that
causes degeneration in muscle control), was referred to BBBS of NYC’s
Dr. Chavda never had contact with African-American or Hispanic youth until a physician in his
pediatric unit at Brookdale Hospital in the tough East New York area of Brooklyn organized the
Mentoring Through Medicine Program with BBBS of NYC. He was matched with Jose, a 14-year-old from
East New York who wanted to be a paramedic.
