WILLIAMSVILLE, N.Y. — January is National Mentoring Month, and there is a need for more people to volunteer with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Erie, Niagara and the Southern Tier.
You might think that being a Big Brother or a Big Sister is a big time commitment, but it can just be a few hours a week for a friendship that could last a lifetime.
"I was really surprised with the match process because they found Jizelle, my Little, and we have so many things in common," said Big Sister Sesha Yalamanchili.
And Sesha Yalamanchili is weaving all of those things into their friendship. Yalamanchili started as a Big Sister about six months ago. So far, her favorite activity with her Little is to go to their favorite restaurants and share stories.
"This is a spot that my father took me to, and the rice here tastes just like the Puerto Rican style rice that my grandmother makes. So there's a lot of sharing beyond just sharing a meal together," said Sesha Yalamanchili.
If you're thinking about becoming a mentor, Yalamanchili encourages you to do it.
"I'm going to guess more often than not, there's more than you have to offer than you think you do," said Yalamanchili.
Emily Mahoney is the CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Erie, Niagara and the Southern Tier. She says the time commitment can be just a few hours every other week with a child on the waiting list.
"So right now, our main obstacle to serving more kids is really finding the volunteer mentors to do so," said Emily Mahoney.
And volunteers like Yalamanchili keep Big Brothers Big Sisters going.
"I think sometimes when people think of our program, they're not exactly sure what it is. But to Sesha's point, you know, it's spending time, it's building a friendship, and it's a two-way street that you both grow and learn from each other," said Emily Mahoney.
"Am I a teacher? And the answer is no. Am I a counselor? The answer is no. And the more I learn through the training that they give you is that I'm simply a friend, and that's what we share in common, that it's a friendship that goes two ways and it's very sweet and very special," said Sesha Yalamanchili.
If you'd like more information about volunteering, you can call (716)-873-5833.
