Milton ‘Big Sister Of The Year’
Warsaw resident Sherri Milton was recently honored as Big Sister of the Year by Indiana’s Big Brothers Big Sisters. The announcement was made Monday in Warsaw. Mayor Joe Thallemer also announced January is National Mentoring Month.
In 2013, Milton was recognized by her local Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Indiana agency, a separate, statewide recognition. Volunteer nominees were submitted by local agencies throughout Indiana.
Milton has been matched with Sarah for nine years. In 2004, Milton was looking to fill a void in her life when she became involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters as she and husband, Terry, were becoming empty nesters.
Milton was matched as Sarah’s Big Sister in the agency’s site-based program for the first three years. She enjoyed having lunch at school with Sarah. The two have enjoyed their time together talking about things both liked. They found out they enjoyed many of the same things – cooking, crafts, music, and family. After a while, the two decided to become a community-based match and, with Sarah’s mother’s permission, Milton included Sarah in many of her family activities.
She has become part of her extended family through the years. “All I do is give her guidance when she needs it and provide her an avenue to achieve her goals when I am able. We hear so many negative things about children raised by single mothers and those raised in poverty,” she said. “Sarah is a poster child for these families to rebuke the negative and show what is possible with loving, caring, and supportive people in a child’s life. I’m proud to be one of those people.”
One of the main feats accomplished by the match was to overcome the struggle Sarah had with shyness and self-confidence, which left her with no desire for school or friends. She could have been portrayed as a child who cared about little. But the biggest accomplishment is at school. Sarah was once completely disinterested in school. Now, her grades are steadily improving, and Sarah is thinking about college and her future.
The benefits of this relationship are not a one-way street. Milton said she has learned a few things as well. “My life was so hectic at times that I failed to enjoy the simple things,” said Milton. “Our relationship, at its core, is built on respect, love, and doing or enjoying the simple things in life. Sarah brought creativity and artistic appreciation back in my life. And she reinforced the true meaning of family to me.”
Milton will be honored later in the year at a celebration for nominees in Indianapolis. Milton will represent Indiana in the national competition for the 2014 National Big Sister of the Year announced later in the year in Chicago.
Last year, 186 children in Kosciusko County were matched with a Big. There are 75 children, currently on a waiting list, who need a mentor. There are two programs: a school-based program, one hour a week, or a community-based program, three to four hours a month. The biggest need is in Milford.
For more information, contact Trina Hoy, community development director, at 574-551-6386, [email protected] or visit at www.bbbsnei.org.