I just wanted to send a huge thank you to BBBS North and West Niagara. A few years ago I made the difficult decision to leave Mississauga and move to Niagara with my kids. Due to personal reasons I wanted a fresh start. However, I knew from my two older kids the strain of moving from place to place was hard and had affected them. I didn’t want to make the same mistake because this time we were moving to a completely different place and I had no family or friends here at the time.
I looked up every community and after school program available to get them involved in. This is when I found Karen at BBBS NWNiagara. Big Brothers Big Sisters offered mentoring to youth. My kids would be matched with a positive role model in the community and could hang out with them for a few hours a week.
Someone they could go to the movies with, hike, do sports, activities and someone to talk to. It wasn’t an immediate match, the kids had to wait a good while but in the meantime the kids got to enjoy adventure and drama camps. BBBS had so many community partnerships that the kids got to be involved in. It has been incredible this far.
Right as I was diagnosed with cancer they both got matched. Perfect timing. I was so worried how they would deal with my cancer and now they had someone they could do things with when mommy was too tired or sick to do it with them.
From the moment Karen found out I had cancer she has checked in with me once or twice every couple of weeks to see how I am doing. Earlier this week she surprised me with a call to say she has something for me. Karen and the team raised money to get me a parking pass, a box of PPE, books to read during chemo treatments and a Tim Hortons gift card. So incredibly sweet and kind of them. I can’t thank you guys enough for all that you do.
My kids are happily matched with some amazing individuals they look up to. I even have my child in the BBBS Go Girls Program that runs once a week. She meets with girls similar in age and they talk about self-esteem, body image issues and all that affects them at that age.
I really can’t thank you guys enough. Your so wonderful. This means so much to me. Thank You!