July 13, 2011
July 3, 2013
Vol 13 No 28
Big Brothers Big Sisters
Recipes
11
Cool Summer Drinks
Around Town
3
Summer Car Care
Business
7
City Celebrates Year’s Success
St. Charles County Mom Reaches Out for Extra Layer of Support
Sarah and her Big Sister Erin
By Mary Jane Daum Deb Schwer grew up in a small town where everyone knew everyone. Kids played outside until summoned in for dinner. Neighbors kept an eye on each other’s children. Extended families were separated by blocks or perhaps a few short miles. But times have changed. Now a resident of St. Charles County, the insightful mom says she is like other families whose members are spread out over great distances. The built-in support is now several hours away. So when Schwer’s husband died in the fall of 2008, the mother of six acknowledged that she needed to look beyond her family for long-term support. Upon the recommendation of an elementary school counselor, Schwer reached out to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri. The agency matched Schwer’s three youngest children with caring adult mentors, or “Bigs.” Schwer enrolled her son, Matthew, first. “I thought he need-
ed a positive male influence,” the caring mother explained. Her two youngest, Sarah and Hannah, were next to be matched. “Hannah was having difficulty opening up,” Schwer shared, adding, “She would say that ‘no one could understand’ unless they lost a parent.” Consequently, Schwer thought connecting Hannah to a Big Sister who also experienced a loss would provide the outlet Hannah was seeking. Schwer said that the Big Brothers Big Sisters’ staff did a good job of finding the right fit for each of her children. The fact that there is tremendous common ground between the Schwer children and their Bigs is no accident. According to Director of Enrollment Ginny King, the agency works hard to put together the best match possible. “Our mission is about building trusting and enduring relationships,” King stressed. “So on the front end, we carefully consider the preferences and interests of the Big, Little and parent. We
look at a number of other factors, too— always focusing on the endurance piece.” Pleased with her children’s experience See BIG BROTHERS page 2
School
8
Cuivre River Electric Youth Tour
Monsters University photo courtesy of Pixar
Movie
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