Having made a difference in the lives of hundreds of thousands of youngsters, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada (BBBSC) is now looking to reconnect volunteers and youngsters they have brought together over the years.
Over the past 97 years, the organization has partnered some 750,000 Bigs and Littles, providing the youngsters with positive role models and support. While many of those pairings have kept in touch once their Big-Little relationship ended, many others have drifted apart.
BBBSC spokesperson Monika Paquette said the effort to reconnect past Bigs and Littles has been a resounding success, with a database set up to collect information. She said the organization is looking to increase its growing database of former participants at www.bbbsalumni.ca
"Our objective is to reach 50,000 (former Bigs and Littles in the database) by 2013 because the larger the database is, the better the chances someone will look at it and say, 'hey that was my former Little or my former Big,'" she said.
While the BBBSC is looking to reconnect former members, it is also always looking for new volunteers. The organization currently has some 10,000 children on its waiting list nationwide.
Downtown Toronto resident Trish Barbato knows full well the power of being a Big. She has been there to mentor several Little Sisters over the past 20 years.
"It's a very gratifying experience and really unique because you're in this person's life and they're in your life and together you do things you might not normally do," she said. "You go to events or to movie nights and it's a lot of fun for the Bigs as well as the Littles."
Barbato said the first time she met her current Little, Caitlin, she had laryngitis. Because she was excited to meet Caitlin, however, she decided not to postpone their first meeting.
"I was so excited, I wrote out cue cards with questions and answers I thought might come up and used those to talk to her," she said. "After the interview, she said, 'I really hoped I'd get someone who could talk.'"
For 12-year-old Caitlin, being paired with Barbato has provided countless great memories, from day trips to shorter get-togethers.
"We get to go to Leafs games, or just go to her place to go swimming or play basketball," she said. "We have a lot of fun together."