Little Sister Felicia has been matched with her Big Sister Ruth for over six years.

They’ve spent time over the years doing schoolwork, exploring our region and venturing beyond to visit Charleston and the beaches together. Moments of silliness have been interspersed with more serious encounters, but all of their activities have expanded Felicia’s horizons and broadened her life experience. Following graduation, Felicia would like to attend college to pursue her creative interests. BS (Big Sister) and LS (Little Sister) will celebrate graduation by going on a cruise. The official BBBS match may be closing, but Felicia and Ruth expect to be friends forever.

Prior to enrollment in Big Brothers Big Sisters Little Brother David lost his father. David has been matched with his Big Brother Tommy almost six years, and during that time his stepfather also passed away. Among other fun activities, David and Tommy have enjoyed shooting pool, dining out and walking Big Brother’s dogs, but their primary focus has been attending car shows with Big Brother’s classic Mustang. David has gained a lot of knowledge about automobiles while making a strong connection with members of the car club and others on the car show circuit. With graduation approaching, David has his sights set on attending college to prepare for a career in computer technology. As their match nears the end, both Big and Little Brother attest to the depth of their friendship by proclaiming they are friends for life.

As you can see, Big Brothers Big Sisters is making a positive impact on children and empowering them to succeed. All of the Littles enrolled in Big Brothers Big Sisters have expanded opportunities because someone was willing to … start something big. Big Brothers Big Sisters is working with kids right here in Polk County and the Landrum area, making a difference in their lives and their futures.

Volunteers, school and community partners, and local donors all help BBBS continue the steps in developing friendships, school success, and life skills for area youth. With this help Big Brothers Big Sisters can continue to match children facing adversity with mentors who want to help change those children’s lives for the better.

The actions taken today can transform a child’s life and put our youth on the path to a brighter future. Big Brothers Big Sisters relies on our community to help children reach their potential, and be the start of Something Big.

For more information on how you can help, please contact BBBS at 859-9230 or polk@bbbswnc.org.

– article submitted by Karen Dacey