After Tammy Strayer’s children grew up and moved out of her house for university, she did something her fellow empty nester friends thought she was crazy for: she filled it.

It took a year, but Strayer stuck with her application to be a big sister with Big Brothers Big Sisters and was matched with her little sister just over three years ago.

“It was quite a process but it was exciting,” Strayer said.

Strayer said she always wanted a sister, and together, the two do things any pair of sisters might do.

They like to cook, bake, swim, and even do home manicures and pedicures, Strayer said.

What activities participants in the mentoring program decide to do are up to them, as long as they get approval from the youth’s parent or guardian.

Strayer said the two of them learned to skate together — Strayer backward, and her little sister forward — and it’s one of the ways they’ve found to bond.

“She’s in a busy family with lots of people. When she comes to my house, it’s one on one,” Strayer said. “When I ask her, that’s the thing she likes the most.”

Big Brothers Big Sisters operates two mentoring programs in Merritt: one is based at schools, while the other is community-based.

The school-based mentoring program has over 15 “bigs” from Merritt Secondary School and over 10 “littles” at Central Elementary.

Strayer and her little sister are currently the only pair in Big Brothers Big Sisters’ community-based mentoring program in Merritt.

Community mentors commit to meeting with their littles once a week for two to four hours for a year.

Strayer said she applied to be a big sister after finding other volunteer opportunities in the community would conflict with her work schedule.

Plus, both she and her little sister’s guardian are flexible when it comes to choosing their activities.

Sometimes they just look forward to making dinner and having one-on-one time to chat, Strayer said.

That time is valuable for the two to learn from one another, she said.

Her little sister has shared “everything there is to know about One Direction,” the British boy band, and her passion for crafts, Strayer said.

She said that’s part of what keeps her involved in the program year after year.

“I’m always learning something from her, and I didn’t really sign up to learn anything,” she said. “I was signing up to just hang out with someone young because I just love kids.

This little girl, she’s teaching me as much as I teach her.”

Program seeking more mentors

Though the school-based program has been in Merritt for years, it was just recently through funding from United Way, the Boston Pizza Foundation Future Prospects and the Canada Post Community Foundation that the Kamloops chapter was able to hire Brittney Parks as the part-time mentorship co-ordinator in Merritt.

Parks works out of the Community Policing Office on Quilchena Avenue.

She said the best thing about Big Brothers Big Sisters is the flexibility its programs offer.

Over its four years in Merritt, the organization has provided volunteer and support opportunities for over 120 children, teens and adults, Parks said.

Her goal is to expand both the community-based and school-based mentoring programs, which means increasing the number of participants in each program.

The more matches the program makes, the more bigs and littles alike benefit, Parks said.

Parks said there are a variety of reasons why littles may want to become involved in the program.

“Maybe their family is pressed for time or other resources,” Parks said. “Maybe they’re struggling at school or having challenges with peers.”

Parks said some bigs sign up for the program with the intention of helping a child who may need a mentor, and quickly learn adults can benefit from the friendships as well.

“The program can have an impact on the bigs just as much as the littles,” she said, adding mentors can develop more confidence, higher self-esteem, overcome shyness and develop their leadership skills.

Big Brothers Big Sisters’ mandate is a simple one.

“As an organization, we work to ensure that every child who needs a mentor has a mentor,” Parks said.

Anyone who would like to apply for the program or receive more information can contact Parks at the Community Policing Office or by phone at 250-280-2327.

“We’re interested in hearing from people and seeing what they’re looking for as a volunteer opportunity,” Parks said.