Affinity4 Community Blog

In early 2006 I began toying with the idea of becoming a mentor when I was presented with the opportunity to join Big Brothers & Big Sisters of South Hampton Roads. Immediately, I knew that I wanted to be a part of the program which had already changed so many children’s lives and that had become such a staple in the community.

Initially, when I joined BBBS of South Hampton Roads, I decided that my primary purpose would be to help a child in need, as well as make a difference in my community. I began doing such when I started mentoring a little girl who was the 6th of 10 children in a large family. With four of them living with the same foster mother who adopted them a year ago, I knew this little girl was in need of special attention. Unfortunately, in 2008 Big Brothers and Big Sisters of South Hampton Roads closed down due to lack of funding. We were transitioned to the TeamUp mentoring program, which allowed me to continue my mentorship of her, and become a stable role model in her life. In doing so, I have begun a relationship filled with one-on-one support, encouragement, quality time, and a lot of fun.

In the time that I have spent with her, I have grown to deeply enjoy helping her to experience new and exciting things, improve her grades, and become an overall better person. In a few weeks, she will be 11 years old and I can truly see a change in her self confidence which has grown by leaps and bounds within the almost 4 years that we’ve been together. She has become a part of my family and she will be for the rest of our lives. I can’t wait to see what happens next!

For more information on how to join TeamUp, visit their website at www.theupcenter.org/

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