4t12t12 PressDisplay.com - The Leader Nelson - 15 Mar 2012 _ page #1

Big bro's in short supplyBy MATT LAWREY

fn h€ Biq Brothers Big SistersI menLorlng !'rogramme is

I callile ln N€lron mpn to"-{tep up" .rnd get more involvc<iwith the region's kidB.

Programme director Gavinl\lillar seid Big Brrrthers BieSisters ha. over 40 b,)vs on it;*?itiig iist but no ner availableto be their mentors.

The programe matehes chil-riren nnd yorng people aged sevenhr 1S-]-eu=-olLi sith adujts in olrfrssjonrlly sut/port€d nDe t,ts;trerelatiooships.

Big llrothers l}rg Sisters currenth-has 120 n1ent,,rs in the Nel-son region matcited with 120 kidsbut only lio p€r cent of those

aatches nre men Kith bovs,''Our biggest chcJicnge is

tLnding nrrn ro *.Luntuul tircrrtime.'' Gavin said.

{Jne Jrcqng man who is benefit,irrg frorn th€ p&gramure is T-year-old Jordan B^ird ot Richmondwhose mentor is Tih Cross oiNel,son. Th€ t$o lr*rt bcen neelinsottce I rveck llr aLour a rerr

Aak Joldan whet he likcs aboutspendiDg tinp with Tim and a bigsmilc races across his fa|o

"l'm pleased to go out with Tinbecause rte car make up games.plant trees, go borviing and trnv-thing like that." he said.

So deter.mine'd wrs Jordu toexplain to The Leodpt tdst l1owmuch he gats out of ihe pru-grarDnrc. ire rvrote I lLst of rll the

things he and Tim have clonetogeiher. The ijsr also iicludsd:rollerbladng. fishing. bike ridine,rxptrring. sqimming. plalLnggames md "wrrting stones iluulbears *rd robbers".

Jordan said he m:rked hismeerings with Tim on a calenclarand always looked foryard to see-ing him.

"He is really fuuy and he isalwa;s there lor ne. If I bruiscrlD1 1eg. hed put a Dbster on rt.'

Tim, rvho is a tescher at StJosel;hs School. }rs been .r BigBruthers Big Sismrs vulunteer foi11 years ud Jordan is the thirdboy he h* metrtored. Tim said heinitjally got involved because hervanied 'to gire $omething brck"

aDd tha! he gets as much out ofnentoring Ls he puts in 10 the

"Onc ofthe reasons I first did itwas to be a roi€ model to our clil-dren and io the cirildren in mveinss," he said-

A father oi tltree, Tim said set-tiog an example as a volunteerencorraged his children andpupilA to see helping others as ngood tlljig to do.

BFiDq a nentor had also snr,nhinr th' appurtunitt rn Lneei lut..of difleren! people and go onor galised Big Broth'rs BrgSisteri rrips.

Tin also thir*s meutorinE JorrlaLr benefits hrs ory6 p",...n,,1ilevelopment.

"It liives yor a lot ofsatisladion

and develops rheir -.eif-esieemand lour s.lf:esteom, It buildshin as a persou and me. I'm anuch beitcr pcr:on lj0nt duincBig Brothers Big Sisl"rs, h" saicl.

Gavio said the programheencouraged nren to incorooratethe bues into therr usurl ruirtrnesand lhe titnjng of thrir oreering;could b" flerjLlr. Ile s.ricl rhcre\{erf. no great requjrements wheuit cdihe to skillg either. as snvactiYity r*ro better thaD nonp

"ll's n{{ rocLet rcirnre. It s rnstsperlLlirg tirre q'ith thpm.' hesaid.

Becoming ,r Bre Bnrther or BjsSister i[volles tlrrce to firr bourotraining a{d having a Dolicer:heck. Email volutt-"ert)bbbs.org.trz or phone 545 9864.

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