Big Brother Joe and Little Brother Clint
Meet Big Brother Joe and Little Brother Clint, who have been matched for 3 years now!
Joe and Clint first met in June 2022 through our Community-Based mentoring program and have been getting food, ice skating, and going to games together ever since.
Signing Up
Before signing up for the program, Clint didn’t have many male influences in his life, mostly surrounded by female family members and teachers. Hoping to give her son a male supporter in his life, his mom signed him up for a Big Brother. Clint and his mom waited two years on the waitlist before they finally got the call that they were matched.
Joe had first heard about Big Brothers Big Sisters through his sister-in-law, who works as a Match Support Specialist. However, he was apprehensive about volunteering, concerned about his ability to talk to kids. After learning about the high need for volunteers, Joe finally started the process to get matched, along with his wife.
Good Times with Good Friends
The pair were matched and soon began hanging out, usually involving fun activities and good food. Dairy Queen, Starbucks, and Pizza Hut are a couple of their best-loved spots to snack, chat, and tell stories (Clint’s favorite!). But they also love to check out the match activities, football games, and Komet’s games.
If they had to pick, ice skating is one of their favorite go-tos in the wintertime. This provides the perfect time for “people watching and laughing at ourselves” as the two joke around. Clint has also watched his Big Brother play in an adult hockey league, and now he thinks it would be cool to learn some hockey, too.
One of Joe’s favorite memories also takes place on the ice. Just after talking about people who show off ice skating, Joe decided to do a hockey stop in front of Clint, which ended in an ironic wipeout and a whole lot of laughter.
The two match each other’s energy, both pretty “laid back” about what they do together. Clint’s lively spirit reminds Joe of himself when he was a kid, so the pair gets along great.
Friendship and Conversations
Over these 3 years of spending time together, the program has exceeded any expectations Joe had going in. Although it took time to develop, trust soon formed between the two friends.
“We definitely got more comfortable with each other, which has helped tremendously, and that just takes time,” said Joe.
Clint believes the best words to describe his Big Brother are “kind, funny, and thoughtful” because Joe always cares about his opinions, school stories, and life updates. Knowing that his decisions and opinions will always be “respected” makes it much easier to share with his Big, and he appreciates Joe’s positivity and support.
“It’s become more than just a friendship. It’s really nice to hang around Joe,” shared Clint. “It’s not just someone that I would go out and play with, or just someone that I see every month. It’s someone who actually cares and is a friend.”
Joe has enjoyed getting to have “deeper conversations” with his Little, learning all about his friends, school life, and different things he is going through. Clint’s mom appreciates this aspect of having her son in the program.
“He feels much more confident that he has somebody else that he can talk to besides me. He can feel safe confiding in Joe, and I love that,” she said. “Joe’s been in his life for a few years now, and I can trust that Joe will help guide Clint in the best possible way.”
Mentorship does not just affect the Little but also the Big. Joe believes being a mentor has taught him patience, as he learned that these types of friendships can take time. But he’s also become more aware of how he carries himself.
“I feel I’m a pretty good adult anyway, but especially when I’m with him, I’m very aware that he’s watching what I’m doing and how I’m reacting to things,” said Joe.
Looking Ahead
As Clint gets older, he has started thinking about his bright future ahead. Although he was initially struggling with school, he is happy to report that he has gotten his grades up and is doing much better—especially in his favorite subject, math. Schooling is another area Clint will soon look into further as he grows up. He foresees a future where he could go into engineering in college, as he loves to build things.
“Every once in a while, I’ll tell Joe, ‘Clint’s having trouble with this at school. Maybe, can you tell him how you did that when you went to school or what you experienced when you were in school,’” said Clint’s mom.
Joe and his Little both agree that they are excited to keep hanging out and seeing what adventures life takes them to next. He knows his Little—with such a good manners and solid morals—is bound to grow up great.
“I’ve told him he’s a great kid. I just try to emphasize that when I see him. For a kid his age, it’s rare, and his mom’s done a fantastic job,” said Joe.
“I want Joe to know that he’s a big part of my life. I’m very thankful for Joe. He’s a very big positive in my life, and I just want him to know that,” shared Clint. “I would like to tell Joe that he’s very important, not just the guy that I just see every once in a while. He’s just awesome.”
Be Big!
Mentorship can make all the difference to a kid AND the mentor. Big Brothers Big Sisters is always looking to facilitate these relationships, helping to provide an extra supporter to grow up with.
“Even if it’s not Big Brothers Big Sisters—a teacher, a coach for sports, or whatever—I think it’s critical to for kids to have an outside influence, that’s not a parent, who can help either reinforce what parents are already teaching or be a sound sounding board or advice giver,” explained Joe.
As a parent, Clint’s mom also recognizes the importance of these types of programs, especially after seeing the impact on her son. She believes without programs that seek to give youth mentors, often, children would “fall between the cracks and society would just keep walking”—not knowing that an overlooked child could have the greatest potential. She wants to thank those who have taken the time to volunteer.
“This is an amazing program for the kids and, as a parent, I am so very, very thankful for everything you do to help boost these kids emotionally and in any other capacity,” she said. “I’m overwhelmed and thankful. Each one of you who contributes to these children is an amazing blessing.”
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