IT TAKES LITTLE TO BE BIG.

From a nervous first meeting to being part of each other’s biggest milestones, Big Brother Andrew, Little Brother Egypt and his mother Ashley have grown to be family.

“I first met Egypt a little over three years ago. I remember going over to his house and we were both a bit nervous. There's a picture of us standing extremely awkwardly an arm’s length apart. It's so funny to look back on now that we're such good friends” Andrew shares. For Egypt, he just remembers that Andrew “was fun to talk to!” Ashley, however, is more reflective when remembering that first milestone. “I remember the first time I met Andrew. I was nervous, excited, and honestly a little intrigued about the person who would become such an important part of Egypt’s life. From that first meeting, I could tell that Andrew was a genuinely wonderful person. I was excited to see what their relationship would become, but I never could have imagined just how special their bond would be.”

New Match meetings are designed to be low-stress introductions for Bigs, Littles, and families – an opportunity to get to know one another, set some goals for their time together, and begin bonding. For Little Sister Aspen, “It was fun!”. For her mom Shennel, “I was excited about getting to finally meet Emily. It was nice. The steps that BBBS takes to find someone that’s compatible with your child is a great part of the program. Emily and Aspen both love their dads; they bond over that. It eased my mind, I was like, ‘I think they’re going to have a good relationship and good connection.’”

For Big Brother Jamel, Little Brother Logan, and Aunt Kathy, their Match journey began in July 2020 under some challenging circumstances – the COVID pandemic. Having shifted from all in-person interviews and trainings with Bigs, Littles, and families to Zoom sessions, Big Brothers Big Sisters got creative in working through these important processes, finding ways to host initial Match meetings, and keeping everyone engaged and safe.