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PHOTO BY MEGHAN ERKKINEN

HOOP BROTHERS. Rob Fisher and Phillip Frank, 12, were matched through Big Brothers Big Sisters of Puget Sound. The two get together two or three times every month for activities such as basketball, swimming or trips to the aquarium.

Big brothers in high demand

By Meghan Erkkinen

Rob Fisher and his little brother, 12-year-old Phillip Frank, are not related, but you would not know it from the way they interact. Almost every weekend, the two of them make plans to do something – anything from a game of hoops to a trip to the zoo – and before their outing is up, they have already planned their next one. Along the way, Fisher is dishing up positive messages and tries to set a positive example for his little brother to live by.

The truth is that Fisher and Phillip have only known each other for about six months. They were matched up by Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) of Puget Sound, which places adult mentors with children ages 7 to 17 who share similar interests. The pair then gets together a few times a month to do activities of their choosing.

“I’m not supposed to be a parent,” Fisher said. “I’m supposed to be a friend who keeps boundaries, who sets a good example.”

Fisher said he tries to send Phillip positive messages about not smoking or doing drugs and about doing well in school. But mostly, he just hangs out with Phillip, to be a friend and a role model.

Phillip’s mother decided to enroll her son into the program because he was an only child and lacked male role models in his life. He was on a waiting list for two years before he was placed with Fisher.

“I just wanted someone to go somewhere with and hang out with,” Phillip said.

Both he and Fisher agree that the program benefits them both, but there are plenty of boys and girls still waiting to be placed with big brothers and big sisters – some for two years or more.

It is especially hard to find big brothers, like Fisher, to volunteer their time, according to Kristina Amaya, a partnership coordinator for BBBS. More than 200 children are on the waiting list for Pierce County alone. While girls typically wait about six months to a year to get placed with a big sister, boys wait a year and a half to two – or even more.

“We get more female volunteers than we get males,” Amaya said. “Although we need both, you can still see that shortage (of male volunteers) in the waitlist times.”

A “big” and “little” pair, as they are called by BBBS staff and volunteers, typically spend a few hours together several times a month. Activities can range from baking cookies, to going to a Rainiers game, to throwing a Frisbee, to going to the library. Fisher and Phillip like active pursuits, such as a game of basketball at the YMCA or a trip to Wild Waves. They have visited the Seattle Aquarium, gone to the mall, played video games and visited Point Defiance Park. Phillip said he especially enjoys trips to Fort Lewis, where Fisher is stationed in the Army.

There are few rules regulating what activities bigs and littles can do together, but Amaya stressed that BBBS does not expect bigs to spend a lot of money. The idea is quality time together, she said.

“It’s really just about being there,” she said. “[It’s about whether] you have time to be there and be a friend, it’s not about going out and buying and doing expensive things.”

Studies show that BBBS mentorships are highly effective. One independent study showed that little brothers and sisters were significantly less likely to skip school, start using illegal drugs or use violence to solve problems. They were 97 percent less likely to become involved with juvenile authorities.

To give more boys the opportunity to experience the big brother/little brother relationship, BBBS of Puget Sound has implemented a new program called Move Big, which requires a shorter six-month commitment. In this program, BBBS schedules regular, planned activities in which bigs and littles together can choose whether to participate. The activities are usually outdoor-related, like trips to sporting events or games of Frisbee golf.

Volunteers to the traditional Big Brother Big Sister program are asked to make a minimum one-year commitment, but many bigs and littles choose to stick together for longer.

Fisher and Phillip plan to continue to hang out until Fisher is sent overseas in about a year. Even after that, though, the two say they plan to stay in touch.

For more information on the Big Brothers Big Sisters program, or to find out about volunteer opportunities, visit www.bbbs.org/pugetsound or call Kristina Amaya at (253) 396-9630, ext. 333.

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