Big Brothers/Big Sisters marks 40 years of matching mentors and making lives better

Forty years ago this month, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Alabama began its mission of meeting an immeasurable need in the lives of local children.

BBBS matches adults looking for a way to give back to their communities with children who could benefit from an adult mentor and role model in their lives. Executive Director Valerie Pugliese said the agency has made possible hundreds of matchings in its four decades, and made a difference in hundreds of lives — little and big.

Count Jason Lindell, and Chance and Chase Gaither among them.

When many matches gathered recently to celebrate the agency's anniversary, the 11-year match between Lindell and twins Chance and Chase was the longest-running one to celebrate.

Chase and Chance were 10 or 11 years old, they recall, and had been waiting for a long time for a match. They lived with their grandmother, and their older sister had a Big Sister.

Lindell said at the time, he'd recently moved back to the Anniston area and was looking for a way to get involved in the community. He was young, married without children, and when someone suggested Big Brothers Big Sisters, he was willing.

He said the twins apparently had been waiting because most "bigs" wanted a single "little."

"Why wouldn't you take both?" Lindell thought. "I said, 'Give them both to me.'"

"I still consider them my littles," he said, "with facial hair."

Fast forward 11 years. Chance and Chase are students at UAB, enrolled in pre-dental and civil engineering programs, respectively, and Lindell is still in their lives.

Chase said it's harder to stay in touch now, but they do, marking the milestones in each another's lives.

They stay in contact, as Lindell rears his own family — including a set of 5-year-old twin boys.

"In a way, they prepared me for my own twins," he said.

Lindell said he realized the rewards of sharing time with Chance and Chase — taking them out to eat and broadening their horizons.

"They thought the path to Mecca was Golden Corral," Lindell recalled — the place you went for celebrations or special meals. He showed them other places, he said. and before long they were asking to go to Logan's for large steaks.

All the trips provided time to talk, and to show interest in their lives.

"It's the little things that matter," Lindell said, "They're things I'll never forget."

Chase and Chance recall going to Lindell's house, where he would show them how to do yard work.

"We didn't have anybody to do that," Chance said. Having a Big Brother made a big difference in their lives. he said.

The time spent together over the years helped give the twins the confidence they needed to get involved in sports, and in their church.

"We played lots of sports," Chance said.

While they didn't realize it then, Lindell was giving them a chance to try a variety of things, to gauge the interests they would want to pursue. Both ended up playing football at Munford High School.

The experience has left Chase interested in taking on the "big" role in the future.

"Seeing someone do that for us," he said,  how could you not want "to do that for someone else?"

Rezaea Foroutan has been a Big Sister for about three years. Her little is 8 years old and is going into the third grade this fall.

"It's been fun finding things to do with her," Foroutan said.

Recently, they've been making a popsicle stick house together. And Foroutan said she's been helping her little with her reading — and she's excited to see improvement there. "She's reading at a fourth-grade level, above her grade level," she noted, proudly.

Foroutan said its been a rewarding experience — one she's managed while going to Gadsden State Community College and working.

Lindell said prospective mentors may think involvement in the program takes more tme than they have to give, but BBBS requires just 4 hours a month spent with littles. Matches can spend more time together, if they want to.

Pugliese said the program is proud of its history and being able to commemorate 40 years of serving young people through one-on-one mentoring. It serves children in Etowah, Calhoun, DeKalb, Cherokee, and Talladega counties.

"Anniversaries are a time to reminisce cherish memories of the past, to celebrate our accomplishments and a time to direct a path toward a successful future," she said. "I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the wonderful community support through these 40 years.

"Paramount to that support is the City of Gadsden, United Way, The Alabama Department of Child Abuse Neglect Prevention and the Community Foundation of Northeast Alabama," Pugliese said. "We would not be here today if not for our supportive community, our donors, volunteers, parents, guardians, devoted staff, and our board of directors."

The agency has served thousands of children in school and community-based programs.

"We have added STEAM resources to our school based and community based programs for our Littles and Bigs to learn together," Pugliese said. "STEAM -- science, technology, engineering, art and math activities help youth who have experienced trauma or have risk factors to heal through social emotional learning. These STEAM resources were funded by a Harland Jones Grant award from the Community Foundation of Northeast Alabama."

On average, she said, BBGS serves 250 children each year. Last year, there were 204 children matched with mentors and another 40 kids on a waiting list, waiting to find their match.

"We always need volunteers," she said. "To help our mission you can advocate, be a Big, donate, start a workplace mentoring program."

She encouraged anyone interested in the program to visit bbbsneal.org.

Contact Gadsden Times reporter Donna Thornton at 256-393-3284 or donna.thornton@gadsdentimes.com.

This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: Big Brothers/Big Sisters: 40 years of one-on-one mentoring youth