A Little Perspective

Cameron is at a time in his life where he is starting to grow up and branch out. His mother, Kimberly, wants her son to use this period wisely to broaden his horizons. “Cameron gets his country perspective of life from me. I don’t know much about the city way of life,” she said. “Cameron could learn a new perspective from a mentor - different religions, different walks of life.”

Cameron, who is 12 years old, already has a long list of interests – camping, riding bikes, collecting knives, hunting, cooking, playing video games, and socializing on his new cell phone. He wants to be a professional basketball player one day, but he also has a love of animals. Kimberly, a dog groomer, occasionally takes him to work with her in the summer. “Cameron is great with dogs. He’s a good worker.”

Kimberly says her son needs a mentor to help fill the void left when his biological big brother leaves for the army. The two spend a lot of time together, and Cameron will miss him while he’s gone. It’s important for Cameron to have a role model that can spend time and share interests with him.

  

Mentors have the ability to give new, profound experiences and views to their mentees. Cameron and other Littles waiting to be matched are eager for these experiences to shape their future. After all, a little perspective goes a long way.

Planning for Success

Like many of the children waiting to be matched with a Big Brothers Big Sisters mentor, fourteen-year-old Isaiah has big goals in life. One of those goals is to be a professional athlete. He's already got a huge fan, his mother, Sylvia, but now he's looking for someone else to cheer him on.

"I want a Big Brother to look up to, to show me the right direction," Isaiah said. "I want to learn to have a positive influence and be a better leader." Sylvia knows how important a mentor could be to helping her son achieve his goals. She wants a mentor for Isaiah who can show him "how to set a goal and how to attain that goal. How to be a winner instead of a quitter." The NFL or MLB, where Isaiah wants to end up one day, accepts only the best athletes, but drive, determination, and leadership are all as important as physical ability.

Isaiah's interests aren't only in sports, however. He's a smart student who wants to own his own business, and he's gearing up for a part in a movie his church is producing. He would thrive with a mentor who is as well rounded as he is. "A Christ-centered person with integrity who can show Isaiah how to treat a lady," Sylvia said of her ideal mentor for her son. Isaiah would like a mentor who can play sports, too, of course.

Although he hasn't decided between becoming a business tycoon or a professional athlete, Isaiah is planning for success. A mentor could help him by being a good example and instilling values that will aid him throughout his life - whether he ends up on the cover of Forbes, has his own Wheaties box, or just grows up to become an honorable and successful adult.

Isaiah is one of many children in the Birmingham area that is waiting to be matched with a mentor from Big Brothers Big Sisters. To learn more about becoming a mentor, visit http://www.bbbsbhm.org/ or call (205) 939-5590.

The Big Picture

It’s not every day a 10 year old gets to be interviewed on TV, and Zion’s voice gave away his excitement. I was calling to prepare him for Monday morning’s interview on Good Day Alabama about the Big Brothers Big Sisters program, and he greeted me with a cheerful tone and impeccable politeness. We talked about what he likes to do for fun (“go to Chuck E. Cheese”) and what he wants to be when he grows up (“a doctor”),  but mostly we chatted about what type of mentor he would like to have in his life.

“I want a Big because he can help me with my homework, and we can have fun,” he said. “I want one that knows how to cook and can teach me about sports.” Zion’s broad range of interests also includes cars and math. His mother, Adrienne, says Zion is bright, inquisitive, and curious.

“He looks to me as a role model,” Adrienne said. She speaks with the same warmth and politeness as Zion. “It would be nice for him to have a male role model to pattern himself after. I can instill my values, but he needs that male role model to teach him things I can’t teach him.”

Zion has been waiting for a mentor for 6 months now, and he is looking forward to one day being matched. He emphasizes the small moments he would like to have with his Big – a day at the park or eating ice cream, but his mother focuses on Zion’s bigger picture. “He will have a more promising future with a mentor.”

Zion is one of almost 300 children in the Birmingham area that are waiting to be matched with a mentor from Big Brothers Big Sisters. To learn more about becoming a mentor, visit http://www.bbbsbhm.org/ or call (205) 939-5590.

The Road to Recovery

The support for the Littles who have lost their homes in the recent tornado outbreak has been truly inspiring. The mettle of a community is tested in the wake of disaster, and the Birmingham area has proven strong. Donations of clothes, hygiene products, toys, and gift cards have poured in from all corners of our service area. All the donations are being sorted at our office and sent directly to the families in our program based on their need.

One of the hardest hit areas during the storm was Pleasant Grove, a charming and quiet suburb a few miles south of Birmingham. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Birmingham has 6 Littles who lost their home and many of their belongings there, so a few of the staff loaded up the donations and drove out to deliver them.

It’s a startling scene. Where lush trees once lined the streets, blocking views of neighbors and sky, there is now open fields with scattered branches and debris. Power lines drape across the roads and into yards. Houses are now skeletal frameworks at best and foundations at worst.

It is hard to imagine the horror the residents of Pleasant Grove experienced, but many of them have faced this hardship with grace and composure. We saw residents who were still smiling, still polite, and still eager to help one another. No one better exemplified this than Courtney and her son Justin, one of our Littles waiting to be matched with a mentor.

“I’ve been very lucky,” Courtney said, standing in front of what remained of her home. “We’ve had a family come out and help us, and the local churches and Hills Foodland.” She recounts emerging from a nearby storm shelter on that terrible day and finding her neighborhood in shambles. She remembers climbing over fallen trees to inspect her house as Justin comforted shocked neighbors. The house was crushed, but they were able to salvage some of her and Justin’s paintings. All four of their cats would eventually be found, as would their pet ferret and turtle. Although tragedy had befallen her and her family, she was poised and cheerful as she spoke, and Justin and a friend had made a playful competition of throwing roofing shingles collected from the debris. They were very grateful for the donations we delivered.

We also chatted with Chris, a guardian of two Littles who lived just a few streets over. The Littles, both teenagers, were home alone when the tornado hit. After frantically racing home and finding them safe, Chris learned that they had gone downstairs and huddled under the table as they had been taught to do in tornado warnings. With most of their home completely gone, Chris found that the table and the copy of the Bible they had kept on it were undisturbed by the storm. Chris and his family were thankful for the outpouring of love and supplies from friends and BBBS.

The road to recovery for these families will be a long one, but it is a goal they intend to meet. The generosity and compassion of their community – from Greater Birmingham to the state of Alabama and beyond - has helped to give them hope as they focus on rebuilding. They have lost so much, but are very grateful to have their family. As Courtney said, “We are very optimistic, because we are all alive.”

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Birmingham has 13 children in our program who have been greatly affected by the tornadoes. We are currently accepting donations of gift cards to be given to these families. For more information call (205) 939-5590.