MATCH OF THE MONTH | January 2023
Erin Rovinski & Izzahbella
Hello, everyone! My name is Erin, and this is my Little Sister Izzahbella.
When I moved to Green Bay, I was interested in becoming involved in the community. I knew I could make a long-term commitment to whatever I participated in, so I decided to reach out to Big Brothers Big Sisters to learn more about their programs. Five years ago, I was matched to Izzahbella!
Izzahbella and I spend our time together in a variety of ways! She loves when we play games, watch movies, walk Doc (my dog), and go out to eat. From my perspective, our activities have changed a lot over the years. We started out as a site-based match meeting at her school, and Izzahbella and I would spend time playing games and doing crafts during lunch. Even now as a community-based match, we still play a lot of board games. She introduces me to new movies, so we enjoy our movie nights. But mostly, we just like talking about what is going on in our lives. Whether we are on a walk, getting tea, or looking at Christmas lights, we always make sure to catch up on how our weeks are going.
You learn a lot by being friends with someone for five years. Spending time with Izzahbella is a highlight of my week. When we used to meet during the school day, I noticed if I was having a bad morning at work, we would have lunch and play a game, and I would feel ready to take on the rest of the workday. She also shares a different perspective on circumstances, and it is refreshing to hear a young person’s view on things. Izzahbella told me that time with me helps her feel calm and in control of her emotions. She says I am her best friend!
We have lots of ideas for our future together: bowling, ice skating, apple picking, and pumpkin patches. Izzahbella can’t wait for us to pick out her prom dress together!
To anyone considering becoming a Big, I would say that I was nervous at first about it. I was not sure how it would go being one-to-one with a kid or how we would spend our time together, butI learned that those things work out and are not as big of challenges as I thought. This is a great organization, and there is a need for mentors… plus it’s a lot of fun!