IMPACT STORIES
Pictured above are Lesley (left) and Cindy who sat down with Jane and Cait to share their incredible story
CINDY AND Lesley
Decades ago, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northern BC (or Prince George as it was known then) began the mission to better serve youth in the Prince George community and provide a way for kids to not only realize their potential and their worth, but put the skills they learn into practice to become better members of society. The agency believes that with the help of mentoring, they will not only do well in their lives but also do good. In the case of Cindy and Lesley, they’ve done just that.
Over 40 years ago, a 10-year-old girl named Cindy came into the office for the first time and was officially matched with her Big Sister Lesley. Lesley got into the program through her husband, Howard, who also was heavily involved in the agency with his own Little Brother. Lesley says they both have always had “open arms for helping people” and it wasn’t a tough decision to get into the 1:1 community match program. And from there 10-year-old Cindy got to hang out with her new Big Sister and escape some of the stresses she felt in her life. With Lesley, she just felt comfortable. She felt safe. She could talk with Lesley about anything without feeling ashamed or worried about what she might think. Together, they would hang out at Lesley’s cabin property in Isle Pierre, do things around the house, and just enjoy their time with each other. Cindy remembers always looking forward to going out to the cabin, she was so happy there.
As Cindy grew older, the stresses in her life grew as well. She didn’t have many stable adults in her life that showed up for her and were in her corner the way Lesley was. When Cindy’s mother re-married and Lesley and her family were moving away to Edmonton, the match was forced to come to an official close. However, though the match was closed with the agency, the impact and influence Lesley had on Cindy’s life didn’t waver. Lesley even took a teenaged Cindy, with her mother’s consent, into her home in Edmonton and welcomed her as her family in order to give Cindy the best chance. For Lesley and Howard, it wasn’t a problem at all. While many in her life have fallen down a darker path, Cindy credits Lesley for leading her away from that and showing her a better option for her life. She claims that Lesley taught her “self-respect, kindness, patience and what a loving relationship looks like” and, what touched the hearts of the agency was when Cindy admitted that Lesley taught her the simple things too, like how to hug.
While Cindy and Lesley have both since moved down south, they credit BigsNBC for the friendship and sense of family they found in each other all those years ago. Today, the two get together once or twice a month for lunch and talk on the phone all the time. Even now as Cindy embarks on another move, the two have plans to keep in touch. The ladies said it best: “our relationship has evolved as the years go through, but we’ve always stuck by each other.”
When asked what impact the other has had on each other Cindy said “She brought the inner-me out. She kept me going – she kept me positive. She saved my life.” And to that Lesley responded “I have no regrets becoming your Big Sister.” So, as we celebrate this Big Brothers Big Sisters month, we celebrate matches like Cindy and Lesley, who after all these years are still impacted by the power of mentoring, and are a perfect example of how a match can change a life.
This story was written by BigsNBC on behalf of Cindy and Lesley, who had the most powerful and impactful interview speaking of their story and their relationship. It was so apparent how much these two cared for each other and their story is forever engraved in the heart of the agency. Thank you to Cindy and Lesley for sharing this with us and allowing us to share it with the community.