Momentum - Business to Business Online Magazine MOMENTUM September 2018 | Page 29
Non-Profit of the Month
By: Shannon Burke
Gulf Coast Big Brothers Big Sisters
[email protected]
Igniting the Potential to Succeed
You could hear a pin drop as Little Brother Justin struggled to
find the words. He had just been asked to tell his Big Brother
how it felt to have him in his life. He’d been matched with
Seth for only four months, but it was easy to see that a strong
friendship had already developed. With his head lowered
and his gaze fixed on his shoes, the silence seemed to stretch
on for an eternity. When he did find his words, the impact of
them hit me with an emotional wave that I was not expecting.
With sudden tears falling from his big brown eyes, Little
Brother Justin simply said, “It just makes me happy that
you’re here.” Watch more of their conversation at
www.mentorsgc.org.
Since being matched, Justin has opened up more and even
calls his Big Brother to talk about problems he’s having in
school. His Mom Kathryn turned to Gulf Coast Big Brothers
Big Sisters to find a male role model for him after his Dad
passed away. At twelve years old, Kathryn felt Justin needed
someone to do “guy things” with and to help boost his self-
esteem.
Seth and Justin are part of our Comm unity-Based program,
doing things they enjoy as their schedules allow. Like many of
the Little Brothers on our waiting list, Justin has all the
potential to succeed but he needed a positive male role
model to help ignite that potential.
The two try to hang out once a week for an hour or two each
time. “I don’t think the time commitment is an excuse NOT
to be a Big Brother,” says Seth. As a medical student at
UTMB his schedule doesn’t allow much free time, but he uses
his study breaks to hang out with his Little Brother. Whether
it’s riding the ferry in Galveston to watch for dolphins or
playing soccer on the beach, Seth understands that being a
Big means being consistent. No matter how busy his
schedule may be, he makes sure to find time for Justin.
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MOMENTUM / September 2018
If he didn’t have his Big Brother in his life, Justin says he’d
be back to playing video games like he always did. “Most
times I felt lonely and stayed in my room because I have
no one to play with. With Seth, I don’t feel so lonely
anymore.”
Since 1975, Gulf Coast Big Brothers Big Sisters has
worked hard to match as many kids who want a mentor as
possible. Each year we interview and support hundreds of
volunteers who meet regularly with kids in the community,
in schools, and even in the volunteer’s workplace.
Typically, about 70% of the inquiries are to enroll Little
Brothers, while only 30% of the volunteer applicants are
men. This major imbalance means that 94% of the kids on
our waiting list are boys.
Seth wishes more men would get involved with GCBBBS.
“You will never regret becoming a Big Brother. It will be
rewarding no matter what.”
Sign up at www.mentorsgc.org,
[email protected], or 409-763-4638.