BBBSNEW Blog

Julie Collison & May-T

Hi, everyone! My name is Julie, and this is my Little Sister May-T. I came to BBBS in April of 2018 after hearing about it through work. I was looking for opportunities to volunteer outside of work, and my job helped facilitate the connection. I have always enjoyed interacting and helping children. I have worked with children since I was a teenager starting with babysitting and swim lessons. I continued my work with children in adulthood as a physical therapist working exclusively with children. I find I get a chance to help a child and help myself stay in touch with the younger part of me in the process. Because of this, I got enrolled with BBBS and became a site-based Big Sister meeting with May-T at her school.

May-T and I do a wide variety of activities depending on the day. We have played board and card games, done crafts and coloring activities, answered would you rather questionnaires, and sometimes just chat. Every time I leave our visits knowing that we gave each other a little happiness for the day is memorable for me. A more recent memory is when we made Christmas ornaments and both of us had difficulty getting them to stay together with the glue. It was a bit of a disaster, but we made it work and had a laugh in the process.

As time goes on, I look forward to watching May-T transition from grade school to high school and celebrating that accomplishment with her. I also look forward to all of our adventures to come. There are so many things to enjoy about being a Big. A few things that come to mind right away are how much fun it has been to get to know May-T, how enlightening it has been to see the world through her eyes, and how she has helped me feel special and important in her life. I think it has made me not only appreciate the opportunities I have in life but also my relationships with loved ones. She has made me more caring and empathetic in all situations.

To anyone considering getting matched, Big Brothers Big Sisters is a wonderful organization that is supportive to their volunteers in every way. They provide an opportunity for both Bigs and Little to engage in a supportive and rewarding relationship. They also offer guidance and support to help nurture and grow the relationship to help the match continue to be successful.