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Strong connection is built through Big Sis mentorship

A three-year Big Sister mentorship means the world to both Vi Leclair and her 'Little' Anaka Love. Over those three years, both Vi and Anaka have built a strong connection, and have a lot of fond memories.


A three-year Big Sister mentorship means the world to both Vi Leclair and her 'Little' Anaka Love. Over those three years, both Vi and Anaka have built a strong connection, and have a lot of fond memories.

Before volunteering with Big Brothers Big Sisters, Vi was a Girl Guide leader for 23 years. "I retired from that, but I still had something to give to the community, and wanted to still mentor young girls. I like empowering these young girls so they can become strong women."
Anaka feels that having a mentor is very valuable, and giggled often as she looked through a scrapbook of memories. Vi and Anaka do a lot of crafts together, attend special events, and give back to the community through different special activities.

"When Big Brothers Big Sisters have family events, Anaka's sisters are able to participate in our activities," said Leclair.

The mentorship program is a four-hour commitment every week, and Vi and Anaka are able to schedule what works for them.

"As often as we can, we try to do something in the community, such as going to ball games, or going to concerts," said Leclair.

The activities for their outings is decided by both the 'Big' and the 'Little' to make each activity a fun experience. A special event that they attended was when Big Brothers Big Sisters members met with Premier Brad Wall in Regina, during the 100th anniversary celebrations in 2013.

The Big Sisters Mentoring program provides girls and young women with a role model and a friend to talk to and share the experiences of growing up. Through regular outings, a relationship is developed between the mentor and the mentee, that is built on trust and common interests, and is supported by experienced case-workers.

The program is just one of many offered by the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Weyburn office. The non-profit organization is having a volunteer recruitment through the month of May.

Anyone interested in volunteering for one of the mentor programs can contact Sharla Sept at the Weyburn office for more details.