Meet the match: Vicky and Katie

This match highlight was submitted by  Old Colony Y Big Sister Big Brother.

Katie and Vicky have been matched since Nov. 2011, and they have referred to their relationship as a “perfect match.”  According to Vicky, she and Big Sister Katie are “basically the same person,” except that Katie “ doesn’t have a mean bone in her body.”

Despite adding more to her plate, including working full-time and going back to graduate school this past fall, Katie continues to be a consistent presence in Vicky’s life since their one-year anniversary as a match has passed.  Katie has not let her additional commitments interfere with her and Vicky’s relationship, and she continues to take full advantage of the various opportunities provided through the Old Colony Y Big Sister Big Brother program and Mass Mentoring Partnership.  When Patriots player Devin McCourty came to visit our program as part of the Patriots Celebrate Volunteerism Campaign, the pair was so excited to be part of the appreciation event.  Katie and Vicky took part in relay and team-building activities with the Patriots cornerback-turned-safety, and after holding Devin’s hand in a game of the “Human Knot,” Vicky claimed she would never wash her hand again!  The match also recently had an opportunity to attend a Boston Celtics game, at which they had wonderful seats and voiced their appreciation for how much their match is supported by the program and mentoring advocates in the community.

According to Vicky’s grandmother, Katie has been a great support to her granddaughter and she is so thankful that Katie is there for Vicky through any challenges she faces. When Katie became a Big Sister, she said she wanted to be a great friend and a good role model, while offering dependability and genuine support.  She has exceeded her own expectations and we want to recognize all that she does to instill the importance of hard work, education and community in her Little’s life.

Meet the match: Hunter and Peter

For the ninth consecutive year, New England’s World Champion Nose Tackle Vince Wilfork and The Safety Insurance 98.5 The Sports Hub New England Patriots Radio Network have teamed up with Mass Mentoring Partnership, to ensure that more young people are connected to caring adult mentors who will listen to them, stand by them and guide them. As a part of this initiative, Wilfork and 98.5 have extended invitations to mentor/mentee matches in the MMP network to attend a home game, and MMP chooses a match for each game based on the most compelling stories submitted. On game day, chosen matches are met by Bianca Wilfork and 98.5 The Sports Hub.

This is a highlight of a match that attended a home game this season.

Hunter Campbell, 12, and his mentor Peter Terenzi have been matched for more than three years through the Old Colony Y Big Sister Big Brother program in Brockton. They’ve had quite the year in sports, having called “play ball!” before the Red Sox game at Mentoring Night at Fenway in June 2012. Now, they were able to attend a Pats game courtesy of the Match of the Game initiative!

Hunter has dreams of getting into West Point someday, as he loves the military. Peter says he’s helped Hunter just by being with him, supporting him, and offering words of wisdom. He says, “it also keeps me young trying to do a lot of teenage stuff!”

Peter hopes to see Hunter graduate from college, especially West Point. He says they will always be a part of each other’s lives: “Once that bond is made, it’s hard to break.”

Meet the match: Deidra and Hayden

For the ninth consecutive year, New England’s World Champion Nose Tackle Vince Wilfork and The Safety Insurance 98.5 The Sports Hub New England Patriots Radio Network have teamed up with Mass Mentoring Partnership, to ensure that more young people are connected to caring adult mentors who will listen to them, stand by them and guide them. As a part of this initiative, Wilfork and 98.5 have extended invitations to mentor/mentee matches in the MMP network to attend a home game, and MMP chooses a match for each game based on the most compelling stories submitted. On game day, chosen matches are met by Bianca Wilfork and 98.5 The Sports Hub.

This is a highlight of a match that attended a home game this season.

Deidra Collins, 17 and her mentor Hayden Rockson rounded out their sports events experiences when they attended the Patriots game on Dec. 10. Having previously attended Celtics and Red Sox games, they were able to watch the Pats defeat the Texans through the Match of the Game program.

The pair have been matched for three years through Newton’s One to One Program.

Hayden says that Deidra, who has family and friends living in Honduras, has grown by leaps and bounds in her maturity since they’ve been matched. Previously, Hayden had struggled with making commitments because she’s been unsure of where she’ll be in the future.

“She has realized that one of the disappointments of growing up is that one has to make choices about time – that not every option will be possible, and that it’s OK to decide what *her* priorities will be,” says Hayden.

Hayden says they were matched because of their mutual interest in playing softball, and knew immediately they would click.

“Despite our age difference, I consider Deidra a true friend,” says Hayden. “We both talk about challenges we face in life, and she has provided some
terrific insights into things I’ve brought up. I hope I can say I’ve done the same for her.”

Hayden continues, “I know we both feel that the past three years have made a hugely positive impact on both of our lives. Working with Deidra has made me even more enthusiastic about mentoring, and it’s something I hope can enrich the lives of my future children some day.”

Meet the match: Spencer and Owen

For the ninth consecutive year, New England’s World Champion Nose Tackle Vince Wilfork and The Safety Insurance 98.5 The Sports Hub New England Patriots Radio Network have teamed up with Mass Mentoring Partnership, to ensure that more young people are connected to caring adult mentors who will listen to them, stand by them and guide them. As a part of this initiative, Wilfork and 98.5 have extended invitations to mentor/mentee matches in the MMP network to attend a home game, and MMP chooses a match for each game based on the most compelling stories submitted. On game day, chosen matches are met by Bianca Wilfork and 98.5 The Sports Hub.

This is a highlight of a match that attended a home game this season.

Spencer Holmes, 13 and his mentor Owen Carr, matched through Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central MA/Metrowest, were the latest lucky pair to attend a Patriots game through the Match of the Game program.

They’ve been matched for almost three years, and Owen realizes the impact that a caring adult can have on a young person’s life.

“I’ve really enjoyed the activities that we do together,” he says. “I also feel good about investing time – our most precious resource – rather than just money for this important cause. I have fond memories of the time that my father and I spent together at this age and the positive impact it had which has carried into my adult life.”

The two enjoy a wide range of activities together: movies, bowling, attending sporting events, woodworking, home improvement projects, music, boating and aviation.

Meet the match: Jose and Jesse

For the ninth consecutive year, New England’s World Champion Nose Tackle Vince Wilfork and The Safety Insurance 98.5 The Sports Hub New England Patriots Radio Network have teamed up with Mass Mentoring Partnership, to ensure that more young people are connected to caring adult mentors who will listen to them, stand by them and guide them. As a part of this initiative, Wilfork and 98.5 have extended invitations to mentor/mentee matches in the MMP network to attend a home game, and MMP chooses a match for each game based on the most compelling stories submitted. On game day, chosen matches are met by Bianca Wilfork and 98.5 The Sports Hub.

This is a highlight of a match that attended a home game this season.

10-year-old Jose Burgos attended his first-ever Patriots game on Nov. 11 with his mentor Jesse Lockwood. They’ve been matched almost two years through Big Brothers Big Sisters of Massachusetts Bay.

Jose had been dealing with tough personal issues when he was matched with Jesse. Over time though, Jesse has been able to provide stability and consistency in Jose’s life.

“I strive to teach Jose patience and kindness all while maintaining a fun friendship,” Jesse says. “I have seen his confidence grow tremendously over the last year alone.”

Jesse says that his match relationship has taught him about responsibility, patience, and consideration. He feels that Jose has learned from him, too!

“I think Jose has learned trust, patience and appreciation,” Jesse says. “He is always considerate when we go out. He counts on me to be there when I say I will, and I count on him to talk to and have fun with!”

Their favorite activities involve the outdoors – playing football, baseball and soccer. They’ve also toured Fenway, visited the aquarium and spend their time talking and having fun.

The two plan to stay in contact no matter what, and Jesse says he would love to be a permanent presence in Jose’s life. In fact, their relationship has been so mutually beneficial that Jesse is now working on getting his other friends to become Big Brothers!

Concludes Jesse, “My wish for Jose is to do well in school and go to college.”

As one of the largest adult-to-child mentoring organizations in the nation, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Massachusetts Bay currently serves close to 2,000 youth in one-to-one relationships, with a service area encompassing 155 cities and towns throughout the Massachusetts Bay area. For more information: www.bbbsmb.org.