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Photo: Big Brothers Big Sisters Grande Prairie & Area Facebook page.
By Shane Clausing
big brothers big sisters

Big Brothers Big Sisters in need of volunteer mentors

Mar 7, 2021 | 7:00 AM

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Grande Prairie is putting out a call for volunteer mentors who could help have a positive impact on the lives of young people.

According to the organization, the demand for Big Brothers and Big Sisters has skyrocketed over the last four years. Currently, there are 30 youth on the waiting list for a mentor, 22 of which are boys, resulting in a 35 per cent increase since 2017.

Becoming a Big Brother or Big Sister requires a weekly commitment. Each week, a mentor is required to participate in an activity with their youth for a couple of hours.

Morgan Guerin is 25 and joined Big Brothers Big Sisters in February of 2020, and spoke about what drove her to get involved in the program.

“I had attempted to get involved when I was 18, but obviously life happened and things got busy, so I got sidetracked from it. Then (last year) I found I wasn’t doing anything fun on my own and thought having that youth to experience (activities) with me would make a huge difference. It was just the right time to get involved.”

She tells EverythingGP joining the organization has been a rewarding experience.

“It has been awesome. It’s definitely taken me out of my comfort zone.

“You get to do the cool, fun things that you don’t necessarily think to do on your own or with somebody of your own age,” Guerin adds. “I think it just opens up a lot of experiences that you wouldn’t normally get to have and then you get to see a smile on a kid’s face who maybe wouldn’t get to experience those same experiences either.”

Some of the activities the youth participate in include painting, baking, going tobogganing, skating and swimming, just to name a few.

The youths connected to a Big Brother or Big Sister are between the ages of six and 17.

Those who are interested in becoming a Big Brother or Big Sister can do so by contacting Corinne Patterson by email at corinne.patterson@bigbrothersbigsisters.ca or by calling the office at 780-532-0620.

by Shane Clausing