Kathleen Hamill and Amy have proven to be a great match as part of the Big Brothers Big Sisters program.By Bridget Cook
KATHLEEN Hamill has made an impact on the life of a young Cranbourne girl in a big way.
Ms Hamill, also from Cranbourne, is part of the Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) program, which matches volunteer mentors with vulnerable or disadvantaged young people in the area.
Ms Hamill, 41, is celebrating more than eight months of fun and friendship with her perfect match and Little Sister Amy.
Eight-year-old Amy came to BBBS after contact ceased with her mother due to mental illness.
Like many young people needing a mentor, she has limited adult support in her life.
Ms Hamill said her experience as a Big Sister was life changing.
“Before I joined this program, I never really had much to do with young children,” she said.
“However, since becoming a Big Sister, I have learnt a lot about myself.
“My eyes and heart have been opened to the lives of children.
“Now I could not imagine my life any other way.”
Ms Hamill said she wanted to become a Big Sister to bring fun into the life of a young girl.
“I wanted to show her that life can be wonderful when you have someone to share all your new experiences and adventures with,” she said.
Amy’s father Michael said he was very pleased with the match.
“I don’t know who has more fun, Amy or Kathleen,” he said.
“They are great together.”
One of the biggest challenges of the program is to recruit community volunteers to become BBBS.
There are currently more than 150 young people in the Outer South East in desperate need of a mentor.
Mentoring Coordinator Natalie Zoudlik said more than 80 per cent of the waiting list was filled by boys who are in desperate need of a Big Brother in the City of Casey.
“These boys currently lack positive male role models in their lives through no fault of their own,” she said.
“Some of these boys don’t believe they’ll amount to anything.
“We, as a community, need to give them the confidence to believe in themselves and achieve their dreams.”
Alongside the local community, Cornell Homes have shown their support for the program through the announcement of the ‘50 for 50 project’.
The concept will see $1000 donated to BBBS for every new home built within the next financial year.
If your business or community group would like to know more about the opportunities to get actively involved in supporting BBBS, or you would like to know more about becoming a volunteer, contact Ms Zoudlik on 8795 7999, email natalie.zoudlik@bbbs.org.au or visit www.bbbs.org.au.
