This week Big Brothers Big Sisters of Williams Lake executive director Melissa Newberry and board director Sarah Jackman gave city council an update.
It turns out the program has been matching children with mentors in Williams Lake for 33 years and running school-based programs for 26.
Newberry told council last year 50 children were matched with 50 mentors.
This year the number of children needing matches has increased to 67.
While they were talking I thought about my foray into being a big sister in Winnipeg.
When I moved there in the 80s I’d signed up to volunteer after a colleague told me a lock-up group home for girls needed volunteer big sisters.
Because I was the big sister of five siblings growing up, I thought it would come naturally.
The trouble was I did not get any training and I was pretty naive.
And I wasn’t a bossy big sister by any stretch. I liked arranging game nights or building forts. I wasn’t always the responsible type.
My lack of big sister credentials soon became apparent.
When it was my little sister Sheila’s birthday, I was inspired to encourage her artistic talents by purchasing a calligraphy pen and ink set for her.
It seemed brilliant until I learned it was confiscated so she wouldn’t be able to make her own tattoos.
After a few successful outings by car with my boyfriend in tow, I ventured to take Sheila to see a movie.
She chose The Clones of Bruce Lee, which was showing at one of the theatres downtown.
My boyfriend didn’t want to see the movie, so I went with Sheila on my own.
At one point she excused herself to go to the washroom.
As the minutes unfolded I began to get nervous that she wasn’t coming back.
I chastised myself for mistrusting, but after ten minutes I had to be realistic.
As I left the theatre, checked the washrooms, and nervously scanned the lobby, I had to admit she was gone.
In tears I asked the theatre manager if I could borrow his phone and quickly called the group home.
“I’m really sorry, but Sheila’s taken off,” I sobbed.
A few days later she was found and returned to the home.
It turned out she had arranged to meet her brother downtown and run away.
All these years later I wonder what happened to Sheila. I hadn’t thought about her for a long time until Tuesday night.
Monica Lamb-Yorski is a staff writer with the Tribune/Weekend Advisor.