Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Toronto

I have one younger brother and I would hardly call him little. He went through a growth spurt (unfortunately) and with age, he thinks he has to be protective of me :) How cute.

I was a Big Sister in Scarborough, Ontario. I was in the In-School Mentoring program which meant I only met with my little sister at her school during school hours only.
My little sister was shy and mostly kept to herself. Her family situation wasn't great and I gradually began to understand her personality. My most memorable moment was my first day. We were playing at the playground and she took a stick and write "A BIG DAY" in the sand. I asked what that meant and she replied, "Because today I met you".

The impact you can have on your little brother or little sister you are matched with could be positive like this. Unfortunately, my little sister was sent to a group home and was out of the program. I only saw her 5 times in the course of the school year from September to December because she was rarely at school.

Currently, Big Brothers and Big Sisters need more volunteers especially for the In School Mentoring program and Group Program. They also need a lot of Big Brothers.

Check for information on a program in Toronto here

Here are some places you can volunteer at:

Surrey Place
Children's Aid Society
Sick Kids Hospital

You can also google your local hospital, shelters etc.

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