BBBSNEW Blog

Each month, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Wisconsin shines a light on the relationships that we are helping build within our community. Please help us congratulate Big Sister Carly Resch and her Little Sister Rhiannon of Green Bay — our Brown County Match of the Month for December.

Where did you hear about Big Brothers Big Sisters?

Carly Resch: I heard about BBBS while doing online research about getting more involved in the community. I knew I wanted to do something that involved children and after looking at a few different community groups, it seemed that BBBS was exactly what I was looking for. I knew I wanted to be able to have an impact on someone else’s life.

Why did you want to have a Big Sister?

Rhiannon: Because I was lonely. I wanted someone to spend time with. My friends live far away.

What do you do when you spend time together?

CR:  Rhiannon and I love to try new things together, so we like to do a variety of different activities. We both love art so we like to try out different art studios in the area and complete different projects. We also really enjoy going to as many of the match activities that BBBS puts on. Whether it be going to the movies, the NEW zoo, the Wildlife sanctuary or just out to dinner, we love just hanging out and spending time together!

What is your favorite memory with your Big?

R:  Roller Skating – I was really bad at it but had fun.

Is there something in particular that stands out as a memorable time with our Little?

CR: Rhiannon and I have been matched for almost four years now so there are a lot of memories that stick out to me. I don’t have a specific memory but more when our relationship changed in a wonderful way. I can’t name exactly when it happened, but I remember the time when we went from being just Big and Little to when I really started seeing her as my family and someone I knew I would have a lifelong bond with, long after our ties with BBBS would end. It happened very naturally and over the course of time, but for a while now I have considered her to be so much more than just a Little Sister.

Is there something you would like to do together in the future, and why?

R:  We don’t plan very much ahead of time, but it will be fun.

Is there something in the future that you would like to do together, or that you look forward to experiencing together?

CR:  I would like to have Rhiannon come to my house and teach her how to bake and cook, which are two things I love to do and something we have never really done together. I would also like to take her fishing and do some more outdoor activities like bike riding and hiking. One thing Rhiannon really likes to do is just go for a drive to places she hasn’t seen before. I plan on doing that a lot more with her in the upcoming months when it is too cold to do anything outside!

What have you enjoyed about being a Big?

CR: I have enjoyed getting to know not just Rhiannon, but her family as well. Rhiannon has an amazing support system and her family has been nothing but wonderful to me since the day I met them. I don’t have any siblings and have a very small extended family so it has been so nice to bond with Rhiannon and her family so much to where I consider them to be part of my family.

What is something that you learned from your Big?

R:  It is more fun to do things with someone else than by yourself because it can be lonely on your own.

In what way has being matched with your Little affected you and your life?

CR:  I don’t see Rhiannon as much as I would like to due to my work schedule but when I do see her, I hope I am making some sort of impact on her life; I know that when I meet with her or talk to her, she makes an impact on mine. I think being matched has also given me an opportunity to be in a role I have never been in before, that of a true big sister. As stated before, I do not have any siblings and feel I may have missed out on that relationship in life. But with Rhiannon, I feel that I have been able to have that relationship and I hope that I can continue to teach her new things just like she is always teaching me.

How has being matched with a Big made a difference for you?

R:  I have someone to talk to about good and bad things that are happening.

What would you say to others about Big Brothers Big Sisters and to others who are thinking about becoming a Big?

CR: I have been asked this question before and the answer is simple: do it. However, I know that is a lot easier said than done. It can be intimidating meeting a child and their family that you know nothing about except for what you see on paper. It can also be overwhelming because it is another commitment added onto most people’s already busy lives. That being said, the joy of being a big far outweighs the fear of the unknown and the fear of feeling you won’t be able to commit enough time. Just like everything else, nothing worth having is ever easy, especially not at first. Once someone makes the decision to become a big, I know they won’t regret it. It has changed me for the better and I can’t imagine not ever meeting Rhiannon and her family.