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Mike Garbowicz was already sold on mentoring
then found it to be even more rewarding than he had thought.
When Mike Garbowicz was a boy, he had a friend who was a Little Brother. Seeing the positive impact that mentoring made in his friend's life in turn made a big impact on Mike.

His friend was able to participate in activities his single mother might not have been able to provide. As well, his friend became a lot more trusting of adults, especially men; and learned how to present himself well in life, based on the positive role model he had in his Big Brother.

"I saw firsthand the benefits of the program" how only a few hours per week can make a difference in someone's life," Mike says.

That was his first exposure to Big Brothers. Then, years later, while enrolled in the Police Foundations program at Niagara College, Mike attended a recruiting presentation by Big Brothers Big Sisters. Two or three months later, he signed up as a Big.

Mike, 27, of St. Catharines, is not at liberty to reveal his occupation, nor can the name of his Little Brother, with whom he's been matched for about four years, be published. What Mike can say is that applying to become a Big Brother was easy, and the relationship he's developed with his Little Brother, now age 12, has been more rewarding than anticipated.

The two have gone hiking and tobogganing together, played tennis and basketball, made crafts and models, and attended birthday and Christmas gatherings. As well, they've practiced archery, watched movies and played videogames.

They even went to see Phantom of the Opera, along with Mike's fiance. At first, Mike's Little was skeptical about going to an opera. But he ended up enjoying it immensely, becoming completely immersed in the unfolding drama on stage.

For Mike, the chance to see his Little Brother learn and grow, and to involve him in activities he might not otherwise experience, has been priceless.

"We've become more like family than I expected and as a result we learn from each other," Mike says.

"Whether I'm passing along knowledge, listening to a concern, giving advice, being "schooled" at videogames or just doing an activity or sharing laughs with my Little Brother, a mutual sense of loyalty connects us. We're proud, not only to be part of the Big Brothers program, but also to be part of each other's lives."