Students with a little time to spare and a desire to help out in the community should consider what many students have already found to be a fulfilling experience—being a big brother or big sister.

The Big Brother/Big Sister program matches children between the ages of 5-14 who are living in single-parent households with adults who provide the children with friendship and guidance.

Silvia Lee-Thompson, program director of Big Brother/Big Sister, said there are two main reasons students should look into joining the program. “First of all, it helps kids. Studies have shown that a one-on-one relationship with a caring adult really makes a difference with a child, and secondly, students get a lot out of it,” she said. “They get to do things they wouldn’t do otherwise.”

About 75 percent of current volunteers are NIU students, she said. Mike Joyce, an NIU student and big brother said he enjoys being in the program. He has been matched to nine-year-old Josh LeMay since February 1992. “It’s been really great. You see the relationship grow as you become more and more important to him,” Joyce said.

The reason NIU students have volunteered in the program are varied.

Denise Nelson, an elementary education major, said she volunteered because she didn’t have any brothers or sisters of her own, and never had the chance to spend time with children.

Psychology major Tina Gumma had a completely different reason. “I have a lot of little brothers and sisters at home and I miss them, and having a little sister sort of made up for that,” she said.

A big brother or sister is required to spend at least four hours a week with their “little sib,” and finding activities can pose somewhat of a challenge. Joyce takes his “little brother” to baseball games, the YMCA and the Huskie Den.

Nelson’s “little sister,” 6-year-old Becky Carroll, enjoys going swimming, going to the zoo and having water gun fights with Nelson’s roommates.

Katie Davis is Gumma’s “little sib,” and is also 6 years old. Gumma takes her to places like Chuck-E-Cheese or swimming and watches Disney movies with her.

Although most volunteers have good relationships with their siblings, it doesn’t always begin that way. The “early development phase” of a match can be rocky, since a lot of adjustments need to be made, Lee-Thompson said. Still, serious problems are rare.

“We try to be careful with the matching,” Lee-Thompson said. “Maybe there’s some bumps as with any relationship, but most get worked out eventually.”

NIU student Susan Roberts didn’t get off to a smooth start with her “little sister,” 13-year-old Amy Patton. “At first it was uncomfortable, but we met once a week, going to movies, mini golf, we baked … and we became good friends,” Roberts said.

Big Brother/Big Sister case workers monitor the progress of each match continuously and if incompatibilities exist in the match they can terminate it. The case workers make sure the volunteer isn’t taken advantage of by the child’s parent.

Anyone interested in Big Brother/Big Sister can contact Family Service Agency at 758-8616.