Meet One of Our Newest Matches

Big Brother Brian / Little Brother Jahlil Matched July 2018 in Waukegan

"Like so many kids, Jahlil has all the potential inside him. We just need to demonstrate sincerity and interest. The value you bring can do so much for another human being." - Big Brother Brian

When Big Brother Brian and his Little Jahlil met for the first time, their match support specialist read off a list of possible outings - each one was something new and exciting to Jahlil. Growing up in a single parent household with an incarcerated father, Jahlil has been missing companionship and consistency. In just three outings, Brian and Jahlil have already been out for pizza, played football at a local park, worked to improve his reading skills, and celebrated an 8th birthday. "Jahlil is kind, talkative, and curious, but also very impressionable," said Brian. "In his environment, it's much easier to step out of bounds. There are going to be influences all over and I won't always be there."

"There is a lot of value in the simplicity of this program: you simply live by example." This became clear on their most recent outing to Chuck E. Cheese's. While Brian admits he wasn't necessarily thrilled at the thought of a trip to Chuck E. Cheese's, he experienced a moment where everything clicked. "I gave Jahlil a handful of arcade tickets, and completely unprompted, he looked around and gave some of his tickets to a little kid standing beside him. It was such a small gesture, but it caught me off guard in such a positive way. Like so many kids, I know he's capable and has all the potential inside him. We just need to demonstrate sincerity and interest. The value you bring can do so much for another human being."