John Paul and Edgar have been matched since 2005. For the first two years or so, J.P. (as he’s known to his friends and to most of the staff at the Big Brothers Big Sisters offices, where he’s been a Program Specialist and Community Relations Coordinator for many years) wondered if he’d ever break through the communication wall. “Man, for the first couple of years Edgar hardly said ANYTHING!” laughs J.P. “He’d just answer questions, and that was it. But eventually, we built up trust and now we have absolutely NO problem communicating!”
Edgar is lucky to come from a supportive, albeit large family where both parents are in the home. However, with four siblings and parents who both work, sometimes finding the time for the one-to-one attention that a young man needs was tough, so Edgar was enrolled in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. It’s been a great experience for both Big and Little Brother; J.P. says that over time, he and Edgar have become like real brothers. “We like doing the same things…We’re both really into sports, and we go to a lot of sporting events and activities. We also both really like video games, and we go to most of the Big Brothers Big Sisters sponsored events. There were two events recently – an event where Bigs and Littles could go to learn how to change the oil in their vehicle, and a cooking event where we got to make Fajitas, salsa, and really a whole meal with other Bigs and Littles…We had a blast at both events.”
John Paul’s also had the opportunity to speak to Edgar about more serious topics, like making good choices in life, and about steering clear of drugs and alcohol. “He’s a great kid” says J.P. “And he’s really focused on sports and doing great in school.” When asked about the best part of the match, J.P. had a hard time picking anything specific, because “it’s all been really, really great!” But eventually, the answer came to him. “The best part of the match experience is seeing a little boy turn into a young man” says J.P. “and knowing that we’ll always be Brothers.” Kudos, J.P. – Couldn’t have said it better ourselves.
