At a breakfast for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Delaware, a mother stood up and told the crowd about her son and the impact that his Big Brother was having on her son’s life. Future Big Brother Tony sat in the crowd and was moved by her words. “It touched me, and at that moment, I knew I wanted to become a mentor,” he says. Tony decided that he would volunteer for one year, but after meeting Little Brother Nasir and seeing the impact he could have, the match lasted much longer than expected.

Little Sister Alexis and Big Sister Sheila’s match began with a hurdle. When it was time to meet her Little Sister for the first time, Sheila couldn’t make it–she was trapped inside her house. “I had a 5 to 7 foot drift of snow in my driveway, and no way to get out, and no way to contact Alexis’ mother,” Sheila says. The two didn’t let the hurdle stop them, though. They were able to meet soon after that, and began going to the movies, learning to sew, and reading books to each other at the library. While the match would go on to face more hurdles, each brought them closer and made their match stronger.

Little Brother Arual was at a crossroads. He had big dreams about playing sports and earning scholarships, but he was also tempted to give in to peer pressure from the wrong crowd. His mom was determined to find something to pull him onto the path towards a brighter future. “I was so worried that he might get more involved with these kids, that I had trouble staying calm about it,” she says. She enrolled him as a Little through Big Brothers Big Sisters of San Luis Opispo County, and he was matched with Big Brother Jacob. With Jacob’s help, Arual was able to get onto that path towards a brighter future.

Little Sister’s Mackenzie’s first meeting with Big Sister Paula fell on Mackenzie’s birthday, which was just the first example of how the match would witness each other’s big life moments. Paula was there for Mackenzie’s graduations from middle school and high school. Mackenzie was there for Paula’s wedding and was excited to meet Paula’s first baby. These big moments have made unforgettable memories for the match, but it may have been the little moments that had the most impact.