Tabitha Chennault and Kathy Smith have been paired up through Big Brother Big Sister the past eight years. With Tabitha approaching her 18th birthday, they say it's been a match made in heaven.
"Someone to look up to and who will be there as like friends forever", said Tabitha.
When they were initially paired up, Tabitha's mother was a busy single mom of two, Tabitha says her Big Sister "helped me with my homework a lot, even though I didn't want it".
"I've taken her to some plays, we've done the swimming thing a couple of times, we've been on some Big Brother Big Sister sponsored trips", said Kathy.
And Kathy says Tabitha wasn't the only one benefiting from their relationship. She says she got to do things she had never done with her children.
"When I was the mother of my own children I never dressed up for Halloween, I don't like Halloween. I've dressed up every year for her".
Tabitha said "I think I was in sixth grade, I had a double pneumonia and two collapsed lungs and she was there".
The Big Brothers Big Sisters Executive Director says the program is rewarding for everyone involved, but with the economic downturn, it's been difficult to expand their services.
"If we had more funding and if we had more Big Brothers and Big Sisters to be honest with you, we could make a significant difference within the community", said Jeff Parmenter.
The United Way is a major sponsor of the program, as well as other organizations, but Parmenter says funds have slowed a bit, .and that doesn't help their waiting list of 100 kids.
Parmenter says "or example all a sudden we have 50 people that went through the process to be a big, I don't think we could match them".
But Kathy Smith, who was voted Big Sister of the year in 2008, says even though they can't help everyone, helping one can make a difference.
"We can't change every thing that happens, but if we can make a small contribution in someones like, especially a young person, that's something".
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