Big Brothers/Big Sisters Alliance of New Hampshire matches kids with caring mentors.
Lexi was matched with her "big sister" Sarah Danforth, and the two regularly spend time together. Lexi’s three sisters each have "big sisters," too. Sometimes, all eight of them get together--for a swim, for a cookout, for a game night.
Danforth joined the Big Brothers/Big Sisters program because she wanted to enable her match to see and do things she may not have an opportunity to otherwise.
"I have two older sisters,” says Danforth, “and they always got to choose what we did. It was nice to ask Lexi, 'What would you like to do?'"
In the time they've been matched, Danforth and Lexi have discovered they have a lot in common. “So we're always combining arts and crafts with outdoor activities," Danforth says. Including a 5k run they did together, making matching t-shirts, eating out and trying new foods. “It’s hard to pick a favorite.”
Surprisingly, Lexi says one of her favorite things to do is homework. Visiting Sarah's house after school makes the task a little more entertaining. She says "Sarah's really fun to hang out with." Like when they go to the movies, or go hiking. And they have plans to visit a farm.
"It's really fun to have someone special like Lexi to connect with," says Danforth. "She's a lot less shy now."
Lexi agrees. "When we started going places together, I stopped being shy. We keep having fun and laughing and enjoying the time we spend with each other."
