Big sisters, little homework

By Lilly O’Gorman
It might sound unlikely, but Jessica Azzopardi and Sarah Vanderzwart can’t wait to help their little sisters with their homework.
That’s because they have completed a rigorous screening process and spent almost two months eagerly awaiting their first meeting with the two young girls they can now call their ‘little sister’.
The friends are the very first volunteer mentors to have signed on to Cardinia Shire’s own Big Brothers Big Sisters program, since it secured a year’s worth of funding from the Equity Trustees Foundation.
The newly-appointed mentor co-ordinator Sarah Nyssen said the demand for the program was huge in Cardinia Shire.
“We already have a long waiting list of young people who need to be part of the program, and we are now advertising for volunteer Big Brothers and Big Sisters to be matched as mentors,” Ms Nyssen said.
Ms Vanderzwart, a 20-year-old Pakenham resident, said she and Jess were excited to meet with the families and ‘little’ they had been matched with.
“We’ll be helping them with their homework and taking them places,” she said.
Ms Azzopardi, 22, of Nar Nar Goon said the introduction of the program into the area came at just the right time.
“I searched Big Brother Big Sisters on the internet, because I wanted to become a mentor and I thought this would be a good idea,” she said.
“We will hopefully give them some extra support that they might not otherwise get at home.”
Big Brothers Big Sisters currently operates in 12 countries and all across Australia, including in Melbourne where it has operated for more than 30 years.
The Outer South East region branch was established in 2005 and based in Hallam and has since provided mentoring services to more than 300 young people, establishing a variety of one-on-one and group based mentoring programs in the City of Casey.
Program manager Rebecca Wolstenholme said the Cardinia program was now in need of volunteers and supporters.
“This is an initiative that we can’t realise on our own, and we know that with the community behind us, we will see huge change come to many young lives and, ultimately, to the whole community,” Ms Wolstenholme said.
Big Brothers Big Sisters will launch the Cardinia program with a night of entertainment, including a live band, dinner and a silent auction, on Friday 18 May. The event will be held at the Cardinia Cultural Centre and tickets are available through the BBBS website www.bbbs.org.au
“We are hopeful that this dinner will attract local businesses, potential volunteers and other individuals within the community who are interested in lending their support to the program.”
For further information about volunteering for, or supporting, Big Brothers Big Sisters, call 8795 7999 or email bbbsosem@bbbs.org.au