Big Brothers Big Sisters ‘were sounding boards for my kids’
Single mom tells of joy kind volunteers brought to her children, and of heartbreak when her kids waited to match with mentors
As a single parent, Moray Martin loved seeing her kids get excited about their outings with their Big Sister or Big Brother. She was already stressed by taking care of her family solo after working all day and really appreciated having other people to help guide her daughter and son through early adolescence.
Not only did they get to spend time with kind, dynamic volunteers, it gave her much-needed one-on-one time with her other children.
“It is so great for these kids to have someone other than a parent they can trust and look forward to spending time with,” Martin says.
Her daughter Kait had two Big Sisters for a short time each, going to movies or out for drives, walks or shopping. Her son Reed was matched with Scott Brundle for two years, which impressed her since he already had two teenagers of his own. The boys went Christmas shopping, attended a Blue Jays game and went to Petes games.
“They were the sounding boards for my kids,” Martin says. “They did things through children’s eyes and Scott would drop Reed off very excited at the enthusiasm Reed had brought to their outing. Both had great relationships with their Bigs and were sad when it was time to move on.”
She points out that the mentors invested their time, not their money.
“They just spent time meandering around a store or getting an ice cream,” Martin says. “My kids knew that the Bigs weren’t there to buy them something; just donating their time was what was needed.”
The hardest part was waiting for adults to be matched with her kids when they had applied to the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. It also broke her daughter’s heart when her Big Sisters left when they couldn’t follow through on their commitment. Kait wondered if it
“It is so great for these kids to have someone other than a parent they can trust and look forward to spending time with.”
MORAY MARTIN
was something she did, but it was just a question of other priorities in life, her mother says.
“Although my daughter probably taught hers about testing boundaries and pre-adolescent angst!” Martin jokes.
Right now, there are 40 children waiting for Bigs in Peterborough. Kids and their mentors can connect virtually or by mail during the pandemic restrictions. There is no age limit for adults who wish to volunteer with our agency.
Mark Shuwera is the executive director for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Peterborough. To meet your match, contact us via peterborough.bigbrothersbigsisters.ca.