FAM I LY
Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBSPEI) CREATES MATCHES THAT CHANGE LIVES.
Words by Margaret Prouse Staff Photo by Evan Ceretti
Kieran Goodwin, who has mentored three Little Brothers for nine years, decided to be a Big Brother as a way to give back to the community. He soon found that the benefit was mutual. “Seeing life through a child’s eyes can be so interesting... you actually learn a lot from that.” Goodwin’s involvement as a Big Brother inspired his partner Jamie-Lee Brown to volunteer with BBBS. Although some couples volunteer as a team, Brown and Goodwin each have their own Littles, but they sync schedules to meet with them on the same night.
Brown, a nursing student, says that joining her Little once a week, just to have fun, gives her a break in her busy life. Those weekly fun dates lead to something deeper, she says. “You might go a couple of weeks and really not feel like you’re making a difference at all, and then one day the child looks at you and starts talking, and really opens up about something.” People with busy lives may think they don’t have time to volunteer. That’s how Jamie Lynn Donaldson felt initially, during her years as a UPEI student. She was drawn to get involved with children in some way,
“Imagine who they will become because of you!”
- Big Brothers Big Sisters
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www.pei-living.ca SUMMER 2019
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