Imagine the ability to make a positive impact on a child’s life in just two to four hours per month. Sound unlikely? It’s possible through the United Way’s Big Friend-Little Friend (BFLF) program and you can be a part of it. According to their program’s website page www.bigfriendlittlefriend.org, “Big Friend-Little Friend, Inc. is a nonprofit IRS 501(c)3 community resource designed to give a young person between the age of 7-14 (Little Friend) the opportunity to gain the friendship and example of a positive and sincere adult (Big Friend).”

The program, created in 1977, has matched over 1,200 adult and child friends in its 38 years. An adult volunteer of at least 18 years of age is matched with a young person in the community in hopes to offer friendship and guidance. Jesse Bailey, Executive Director of the BFLF program explains that the program has expanded rapidly over the past few years and continues to grow. Not an income-based program, youth from various backgrounds are encouraged to join. With 70 kids currently in the program already matched with mentors, they are still looking for mentors for approximately 14-20 youth.

I had the opportunity to witness the effects of a lasting friendship from this program through a three generational BFLF participant interview. Michele Leibfarth joined the BFLF program approximately eleven years ago, in search of a young child to mentor. Her son in college and daughter in high school at the time, Leibfarth wanted to join the program because of her love for children. She was paired up with fifth grade Georgilee Flynn from Yankton, the youngest in her family with three older siblings. Flynn’s current big friend was a college student who would be soon graduating and the young girl was in need of a new mentor. It turned out to be a great match; Leibfarth and Flynn have been inseparable for more than 11 years, long after Flynn outgrew the age requirement of the program.

“I just loved spending time with her,” reflected Leibfarth.

Flynn is now in college, attending USD with a major in Criminal Justice and a minor in Child & Adolescent Development. She felt such an impact from her friendship with Leibfarth that she recently began mentoring her own little friend, eight-year old Cameron Schurlock.

“Honestly, if I wasn’t in the program when I was little I don’t know if I would be a big friend now,” she said with a smile. I turned to Leibfarth, asking if it made her feel proud to have made such an impact on someone’s life that they want to carry the friendship forward. She agreed, nodding eagerly.

As Flynn’s mentor over the years, Leibfarth planned many outings: attending a variety of school functions, dining out, school plays and Lewis & Clark Theatre plays.

They made a strong commitment to celebrate birthdays and attend the BFLF Fun Functions, monthly events held where all of the BFLF families get together to do something fun such as kayaking, archery, bowling and parties. During Flynn’s middle school years, Leibfarth took her to high school functions to show her the activities they had to offer.

As Flynn grew older and shifted into high school, Leibfarth took her to college functions for her own kids, giving her a taste of college plays and sorority houses.

Leibfarth explained that her husband Pete and her two kids welcomed her friendship with Flynn.

Her own children spent time with the young girl, to them it was like having a little sister. Flynn enjoyed interacting with the Leibfarth family. She reflects back, stating, “I got to do different things with her that I probably otherwise wouldn’t have done.”

Having so many memories together, their best memory was the anticipation of what they were going to do for their next get-together.

Flynn is setting out to make a whole new batch of memories with her own little friend, Cameron Schurlock.

Schurlock and his family moved to Yankton from Denver, Colorado a few years ago. I asked him if he liked Yankton.

Soft spoken he said, “I like it.” He smiled and explained why he likes McDonald’s better back in Denver. “Whenever you go to McDonald’s you get Bronco’s cups.” I can surely see why that would be important to the little Broncos fan who I am sure is ecstatic about their Superbowl win this year. Schurlock likes to play football, participates in wrestling and stated on his BFLF interview sheet that he wants to be a soccer player when he grows up.

Schurlock has friends in the BFLF program as well as an older brother who also participates. He said they all seem to really like it. How did Schurlock feel when he found out he was matched with Flynn for a big friend?

“Happy,” he beamed. “Really, really happy.” Simply stated but I understood clearly. It was amazing for me to see that Leibfarth’s kindness in spending time with Flynn as a young girl influenced her to carry this forward to another youth. Three generations of friendships were sitting right in front of me.

Though Flynn and Schurlock, having recently been paired up, are just beginning on their friendship journey, they already have many plans. They have attended a BFLF Fun Function and have spent some time together, their first outing a trip to Dairy Queen. Flynn thought they could make a “bucket list” together, ideas that were non-gender specific that they would both have fun doing. It didn’t take them long before they had about two pages of ideas, including some for each season: BFLF fun functions, archery, going to the beach, scavenger hunt, sledding, having bonfire/grilling out, going to the pool, to the park and ice skating. The event that Schurlock is most looking forward to attending with Flynn is the Wild Water West Fun Function at the end of the summer. “I want to go down the white slide, it’s really fast,” he explained. I could already tell that this was going to be a wonderful friendship.

Beginning in March, BFLF will be adding another level to their program by adding a third friend to their matches. They will be teaming up with Avera Majestic Bluffs, an assisted living center in Yankton. As Director Bailey states, “Existing BFLF matches will go to Majestic Bluffs once per month as a group to spend time with their ‘Senior Friend.’ We will participate in both group and individual activities such as board and card games, going for walks, singing songs, knitting, gardening, fishing, and much more. This will be a great opportunity for youth to learn about philanthropy and giving back to their community. We are thrilled for the opportunity to partner with Majestic Bluffs in an effort to enhance the lives of our youth and residents of Majestic Bluffs alike.”

The BFLF program is excited about the upcoming annual Bowl-A-Thon. Now on its 20th year, this year held on Saturday, April 16th at the Yankton Bowl & Family Fun Center. Youth in Kindergarten through 5th grade are invited for free bowling during two sessions, 11:30 AM and 1:30 PM.

If you would like to help contribute to the BFLF program, there are a few options for you. Businesses and individuals have three options of sponsorship, $200, $300 or $500. As Bailey explains, “These team sponsorships pay for an afternoon of bowling for one team of four youth, snacks and a drink, as well as a t-shirt and door prizes. The $300 and $500 level sponsors receive additional publicity by having their name put on the back of the t-shirt and being invited to be a ‘celebrity bowler’ for the day. Any money that is not spent on the Bowl-A-Thon is put directly back into the program, whether it’s to provide background checks for mentors, paying for Fun Functions and new program ideas, or committing to the growth of our program and enhancing the level of mentoring provided in this community. There will also be at least two raffle drawings this year that will be announced in the upcoming weeks.”

Want to be a Friend? Executive Director Bailey explained that anyone wishing to apply for the program can find the application on their website at www.bigfriendlittlefriend.org. You may also call him with questions at (605)-665-6365.

They ask that you devote two to four hours per month to your little friend and attend the Fun Functions once per month. You can choose to spend an hour per week together or get together on the weekends. The BFLF organization tries to complete a service project together once per quarter. “It might seem like a big commitment but if you break it down to an hour or two hours a week or every other week and just think about how easy it is to take that much social media out of your schedule. Just think of how much impact you can have on a little friend for just an hour of your time,” explained Flynn.

If you’re in the program, keep an open mind about activities to do together, suggested Leibfarth. Try a variety of different events that your little friend might like to do. “The biggest thing that surprised me was how much I anticipated the next thing we were going to do, and how I could think of little things to do. I always tried to think of something that we might learn something from,” she explained.

Leibfarth expressed her feelings throughout the years of friendship with Flynn, “I felt sometimes like I wasn’t enough.” She explained how sometimes she would back off a little and give her space and other times contact her more often. Now learning how much she impacted Flynn’s life by being a big friend to her and seeing her carry on the Big Friend-Little Friend tradition, she said whole-heartedly, “It really felt good. It really got me in my heart.” By the look on their faces, I had no doubt that some friendships can last forever.