Some Big Brothers are Sisters

Big Brothers are hard to come by.

Despite efforts by the Carolina Youth Development Center to recruit qualified men, especially black men, to mentor and give support to young boys in our community, the numbers remain lopsided.

The Big Brothers Big Sisters program has a waiting list of 180 children. More than 120 of those are boys.

Because of this disparity, the program's coordinator, Angie Rogers, is starting to match Big Sisters with Little Brothers, an idea that's catching on.

Meet Josh Hutchins, a sixth-grader from North Charleston. Although he has seven siblings, the time he spends each month with his Big Sister is a big factor in his life.

That's right. His Big Sister.

Meet Ashley Vincent, a 33-year-old physical therapist who has been his best friend since he was 10.

'Make a difference'

"I always thought it would be something interesting and exciting," said Vincent, a native of Hampton and a graduate of the College of Charleston and the Medical University of South Carolina. "I don't have kids, so I thought it would be fun to hang out with somebody and hopefully make a difference in their life, and for them to turn around and make a difference in my life."

So for more than two years now, Josh and Ashley have been tooling around the Lowcountry in her sports car, going fishing, walking the bridge, attending baseball games and decorating for Christmas and Halloween.

Traditionally, the agency matches men with boys and women with girls. But the severe shortage of male volunteers has created teams like Josh and Ashley.

"I actually wanted a Josh," Vincent said of the pairing. "I didn't necessarily want to go to the mall and shop."

Growing need

The need for more Ashleys is endless.

"There seem to be a lot of perceived barriers to adults in our community becoming Big Brothers or Big Sisters," Rogers said. "One is a matter of time. But it only takes a few hours a month. The kids just want someone to talk to and hang out with them.

"Another hesitation is the idea that you have to be perfect. All we expect is the ability to be consistent and reliable for the child. Anybody can do that," she said.

The program asks for a 12-month commitment, spending time with a kid three or four times a month. They also encourage married couples to partner in a pairing, allowing them to tag team.

Ashley and Josh get together every other week or so, trying to plan fun events that will expand his horizons.

To volunteer, call 266-5256 or www.becomeabig.org.

"I've been recruiting my friends to do this," Vincent said. "We all have so much to give."