A local “Big” and “Little” each get a lot of satisfaction from participation in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program.

PACIFIC COUNTY — Sometimes all it takes is a new friend with a different point of view to help make someone’s life a little more fulfilling. In some cases that new perspective might simply be a friendship with a person outside one’s own age group. The opportunity to form a relationship with a younger or older person is sometimes rare to find, but when a match happens the benefits for both people can have amazing potential and long lasting friendships.

Big Brothers Big Sisters currently operates within the Raymond, South Bend, Ocean Beach and Willapa Valley school districts thanks in part to the dedication of two outstanding community service volunteers. By working with school personnel, Rebecca Manlow and Taylor Hallowell have been able to match Littles, with older students or community mentors.

“Big Brothers Big Sisters enables children to see beyond the regularity of school life and create new goals with the added influence of their mentor,” said Hallowell. She has seen first-hand the impact that facilitating these one-to-one relationships can do for a child. “The experiences that ‘Bigs’ and ‘Littles’ share can open so many doors for a child’s development.”

In the words of Denise McKinney, the parent of a Little enrolled in the program, “Ashlyn’s Big is her best friend!” McKinney’s Big, Eliza Bannister, also values the experience. Bannister shared, “I like being a Big, I get to make a difference in someone’s life.”

Hallowell has also witnessed the collaborative community action that takes place on the Peninsula. She was able to facilitate a trip last week to Funland in Long Beach for elementary students and their Bigs thanks to a generous offer from the arcade.

Rebecca Manlow has been partnering with Raymond High School in developing and implementing this brand new program. “It is great to see students that care be able to give back to their community.” The matches that Becca has been able to develop have allowed so many new and great relationships to blossom. “I think Big Brothers Big Sisters is the best program I’ve ever been involved in because I make a big impact in my Little’s life and she makes a big impact in mine.” One Big also sees the impact she is able to have, “She (my Little) always tells me I’m her best friend, that’s the best thing I could hear from her!”

Another Big from the Raymond High School sees the benefits of routine contact, “It (Big Brothers Big Sisters) gives us something to look forward to every week, we (Little and Big) both can learn so much, and Big Brothers Big Sisters can be life changing.”

Big Brothers Big Sisters is a national organization that connects mentors (called Bigs) with younger students (Littles) to provide the opportunity for a more individual connection and an increased opportunity for development, thereby benefiting both sides of the relationship. They meet once a week giving mentors opportunity to help build confidence in their Little’s performance in schoolwork and getting along better with their families.

Big Brothers Big Sisters is continuing to evolve and blossom in this area. There are a number of new opportunities for community members who are interested in becoming a mentor for younger students. If you are interested in learning more about how you could participate with Big Brothers Big Sisters in your area Rebecca Manlow can be reached at rmanlow@southbendschools.org or in the Long Beach area Taylor Hallowell: Taylor@swwabigs.org.

If you would like to learn more about future opportunities through Pacific County Resiliency Corps for the 2016-17 term, send your resume and cover letter to Becky Fischer at fischerb@willapabh.org.