WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:12.140 LEX 18 presents a podcast with hot takes, hot 00:00:12.140 --> 00:00:21.079 topics with your hosts Megan Manering and Evelyn 00:00:21.079 --> 00:00:30.320 Schulz. This is Hot Mic. Hey everyone. And welcome 00:00:30.320 --> 00:00:33.479 back to another episode of Hot Mic. It is going 00:00:33.479 --> 00:00:36.200 to be a great day. I think we're going to leave 00:00:36.200 --> 00:00:38.820 this episode feeling a little inspired. I agree. 00:00:39.259 --> 00:00:41.119 We might be putting a little bit of pressure 00:00:41.119 --> 00:00:43.820 on our guests today. A little bit. She is the 00:00:43.820 --> 00:00:46.560 glue that holds big brothers, big sisters together. 00:00:46.960 --> 00:00:49.659 Executive Director Meredith Watts. Welcome to 00:00:49.659 --> 00:00:51.979 Hot Mic. I am so excited to be here. This is 00:00:51.979 --> 00:00:53.820 very exciting. Thank you all for having me. Have 00:00:53.820 --> 00:00:57.020 you ever been on a podcast before? No. This is 00:00:57.020 --> 00:00:59.200 the debut. This is it. You're actually perfect 00:00:59.200 --> 00:01:01.280 though for a podcast not only because you know 00:01:01.280 --> 00:01:03.259 You lead big brothers big sisters of the bluegrass, 00:01:03.299 --> 00:01:09.579 but you're a talker. I'm a yapper You know that 00:01:09.579 --> 00:01:12.140 it's gonna be a good episode when Robert when 00:01:12.140 --> 00:01:13.780 the director is telling you like, okay, we gotta 00:01:13.780 --> 00:01:17.459 go Talking so much before we even hit we're losing 00:01:17.459 --> 00:01:20.859 daylight here. Yeah Okay. Well, let's start from 00:01:20.859 --> 00:01:22.560 the very beginning, Meredith. I want to know, 00:01:22.599 --> 00:01:24.420 where did you grow up? We were kind of talking 00:01:24.420 --> 00:01:26.700 about this a minute ago, but what was your childhood 00:01:26.700 --> 00:01:29.340 like? Okay, so I grew up in Woodford County. 00:01:29.519 --> 00:01:32.299 So I'm a local girl. I'm from here. And I loved 00:01:32.299 --> 00:01:35.640 it. I grew up in downtown Versailles. I live 00:01:35.640 --> 00:01:38.879 in Midway now. I went to elementary school in 00:01:38.879 --> 00:01:42.420 Woodford County and then I stayed at local and 00:01:42.420 --> 00:01:44.560 I went to University of Kentucky. But my childhood 00:01:44.560 --> 00:01:47.239 was great. I grew up in Woodford County. So pretty 00:01:47.239 --> 00:01:49.780 much everything that you could dream of, very 00:01:49.780 --> 00:01:52.799 small town feel. We had like three elementary 00:01:52.799 --> 00:01:55.140 schools, one middle school, one high school. 00:01:55.319 --> 00:01:57.620 So you grew up with... everybody. You went through 00:01:57.620 --> 00:01:59.980 the whole school system with the same people. 00:02:00.640 --> 00:02:02.640 And so I'm still very close with tons of people 00:02:02.640 --> 00:02:05.840 from my high school. And I live there now. And 00:02:05.840 --> 00:02:08.099 so it's thriving and it's really fun to see. 00:02:08.099 --> 00:02:10.379 So it's a great place. And you're taking your 00:02:10.379 --> 00:02:14.550 golf cart. Yes. So we're in Midway. So I will 00:02:14.550 --> 00:02:16.669 say Midway's, you know, Midway's got my heart 00:02:16.669 --> 00:02:18.990 right now. Now, Versailles is, you know, that's 00:02:18.990 --> 00:02:22.330 home, but Midway's my new home right now. And 00:02:22.330 --> 00:02:24.469 Midway's amazing because it is. It's very small 00:02:24.469 --> 00:02:28.770 town. It's very Hallmark. It's very, um, it's 00:02:28.919 --> 00:02:31.419 It's kind of surreal for a lot of people because 00:02:31.419 --> 00:02:33.199 we realize a lot of people that come and just 00:02:33.199 --> 00:02:35.840 visit, but for us, we really do. We live like 00:02:35.840 --> 00:02:37.759 right over the railroad track. You can take your 00:02:37.759 --> 00:02:39.800 golf cart down. You can go to the restaurants, 00:02:39.900 --> 00:02:42.800 go to the shops. You know, everybody, everybody 00:02:42.800 --> 00:02:46.080 waves and yeah, your neighbors really become 00:02:46.080 --> 00:02:49.099 your family. It's some people are next door neighbor 00:02:49.099 --> 00:02:51.479 moved in and he was like, Does everybody know 00:02:51.479 --> 00:02:54.979 everyone here? People were just talking to me 00:02:54.979 --> 00:02:56.659 downtown at the post office and he's like, I 00:02:56.659 --> 00:02:58.699 don't know about all this. And I'm like, oh no. 00:02:59.080 --> 00:03:00.860 I'll send my neighbor with my P .O. Box keys 00:03:00.860 --> 00:03:02.919 and be like, can you just go get my mail for 00:03:02.919 --> 00:03:04.939 a little bit? It's amazing. I love that. There 00:03:04.939 --> 00:03:06.680 aren't too many places like that, it feels like 00:03:06.680 --> 00:03:11.300 anymore, right? No. It's safe. It has a bubble. 00:03:11.599 --> 00:03:14.159 And I used to think like, oh, it's a little small. 00:03:14.340 --> 00:03:16.699 I'm still coming from Lexington, you know? I 00:03:16.699 --> 00:03:19.039 was like, we're still moving and grooving. And 00:03:19.039 --> 00:03:21.629 now I'm like, no. Let me get home. Let me get 00:03:21.629 --> 00:03:23.430 to Midway. I just want to like tuck myself in 00:03:23.430 --> 00:03:26.669 at home and it's great. This is like an ad for 00:03:26.669 --> 00:03:31.030 Midway. I love it. Get me to Midway. Our slogan 00:03:31.030 --> 00:03:34.610 is like meet me in Midway. I want to meet you 00:03:34.610 --> 00:03:38.039 in Midway. Come on. And you are a young mom. 00:03:38.180 --> 00:03:40.300 You have two young kids and they are adorable. 00:03:40.500 --> 00:03:43.379 Love seeing under two, two under two. Well, now 00:03:43.379 --> 00:03:45.900 we've officially graduated the last month, the 00:03:45.900 --> 00:03:47.419 two under two. But yes, we had two under two 00:03:47.419 --> 00:03:50.080 for a couple of months. And that is everything 00:03:50.080 --> 00:03:54.479 that people say it is very exciting, a lot of 00:03:54.479 --> 00:03:58.460 energy, a lot of big feelings. Very exciting 00:03:58.460 --> 00:04:01.639 time. But no, it's, it's amazing. It's a fun 00:04:01.639 --> 00:04:04.460 place to raise them too. Yes. Well, and it's, 00:04:04.520 --> 00:04:06.479 it's helpful because since you get to know your 00:04:06.479 --> 00:04:09.340 neighbors so well, like it really takes a village. 00:04:09.360 --> 00:04:12.280 Like, I mean, that statement I knew because I, 00:04:12.439 --> 00:04:14.139 I grew up that way. I grew up with a lot of aunts 00:04:14.139 --> 00:04:17.459 and uncles who weren't technically my aunt and 00:04:17.459 --> 00:04:19.459 uncle, but they were my parents, friends or neighbors. 00:04:20.009 --> 00:04:22.829 And they were really involved in my life. And 00:04:22.829 --> 00:04:26.730 so I felt like that's kind of lost in this new 00:04:26.730 --> 00:04:29.209 generation. But I'm really grateful because in 00:04:29.209 --> 00:04:31.569 Midway, like my neighbors really are part of 00:04:31.569 --> 00:04:34.689 my family. And so my kids can go to their house, 00:04:34.709 --> 00:04:37.790 they can help me. If I've got like both kids 00:04:37.790 --> 00:04:40.370 and like a grocery run in my trunk, like they'll 00:04:40.370 --> 00:04:42.370 just see and pop over and help me carry groceries 00:04:42.370 --> 00:04:46.779 in the house. Like things like that are It's 00:04:46.779 --> 00:04:49.000 just, it's incredible. Yeah. You don't get that 00:04:49.000 --> 00:04:51.220 everywhere. You're right. Makes it special. Okay. 00:04:51.300 --> 00:04:54.079 Are they, you have two boys? I have a girl and 00:04:54.079 --> 00:04:57.540 a boy. The oldest. Yep. And then a older, I have 00:04:57.540 --> 00:05:00.220 a two year old. She just turned two and then 00:05:00.220 --> 00:05:03.939 a just turned four month old boy. Okay. What 00:05:03.939 --> 00:05:07.839 are some of the funny things that they say or 00:05:07.839 --> 00:05:12.040 do? I feel like babies, toddlers can really crack 00:05:12.040 --> 00:05:14.699 you up. I used to think that people, when they 00:05:14.699 --> 00:05:17.819 told stories about like, my child said this and 00:05:17.819 --> 00:05:19.459 it'd be something hysterical and you'd be like, 00:05:19.860 --> 00:05:22.540 did they really say that? Like, probably not. 00:05:22.860 --> 00:05:24.420 And that, you know, but you're just like, okay. 00:05:25.029 --> 00:05:28.370 by the time she's two, she's like looking at 00:05:28.370 --> 00:05:30.649 me and talking to me in a way that I am like, 00:05:30.649 --> 00:05:32.670 I need to put a mic on you. You are so funny. 00:05:34.149 --> 00:05:36.189 She would sit right here and she would, she'd 00:05:36.189 --> 00:05:40.389 be like, no mama, no mama. Like everything is 00:05:40.389 --> 00:05:43.649 just, and it's the seriousness at which she says 00:05:43.649 --> 00:05:46.790 it, which is so funny. So she'll, she's really 00:05:46.790 --> 00:05:50.829 into now like, yeah, oh yes. But it's a major. 00:05:51.209 --> 00:05:53.949 Everything is, oh yes. I'll say, oh, did you 00:05:53.949 --> 00:05:57.649 have fun? Oh, yes. I had such a good time. And 00:05:57.649 --> 00:06:01.350 it's her, like, the emphasis on just all of her 00:06:01.350 --> 00:06:04.430 work. It's so funny. And then just her trying 00:06:04.430 --> 00:06:08.290 to communicate her day, you know, she's... Brilliant. 00:06:08.709 --> 00:06:11.389 But we're still working on words. Oh, yeah. And 00:06:11.389 --> 00:06:14.069 so just her navigating that in those conversations. 00:06:14.290 --> 00:06:17.689 It's so funny. It's hysterical. And then the 00:06:17.689 --> 00:06:19.990 little guy's four months. He's not doing too 00:06:19.990 --> 00:06:22.649 much just yet. He's literally just smiling and 00:06:22.649 --> 00:06:26.170 happy to be alive. Like, he is as chill as they 00:06:26.170 --> 00:06:29.769 come. He is so sweet and just smile. All he does, 00:06:29.850 --> 00:06:34.029 he just smiles. He is very just happy to be there. 00:06:34.089 --> 00:06:36.500 How is she adjusting to being? A big sister. 00:06:36.779 --> 00:06:39.420 She loves it. She loves it a little too much 00:06:39.420 --> 00:06:41.819 to wear. I'm like, sometimes I'm like, no, no, 00:06:41.819 --> 00:06:43.819 no, no, no. Like he's sleeping and she's like, 00:06:43.980 --> 00:06:46.339 Bobby. And she'll like run across the room. I'm 00:06:46.339 --> 00:06:50.980 like, Oh, like, yeah. So she's very affectionate 00:06:50.980 --> 00:06:53.560 with his like face. She comes home with her like 00:06:53.560 --> 00:06:56.379 daycare sticky hands and she's like, let me, 00:06:56.620 --> 00:07:02.389 yeah. Like I don't need to, you know. We don't 00:07:02.389 --> 00:07:04.610 need both everyone's sick in this house. Yeah, 00:07:04.610 --> 00:07:07.129 she but she's amazing. So it's very sweet. I 00:07:07.129 --> 00:07:09.589 love it Okay, I'm curious but both of my brothers 00:07:09.589 --> 00:07:12.949 have young kids. Yeah, I'm kind of in that in 00:07:12.949 --> 00:07:16.569 that zone Is there a kid show that they're watching 00:07:16.569 --> 00:07:22.819 right now that you despise? No, honestly, and 00:07:22.819 --> 00:07:27.019 I'm not a popular answer. I feel really fortunate 00:07:27.019 --> 00:07:31.939 right now. Blair loves to read, so TV will be 00:07:31.939 --> 00:07:36.879 on, but it's not really her jam. She also can't 00:07:36.879 --> 00:07:42.220 really sit still. I try so hard. just like a 00:07:42.220 --> 00:07:44.860 cuddle pile. Like, let's all get together Saturday 00:07:44.860 --> 00:07:47.819 morning. Like, can we just like slow down and 00:07:47.819 --> 00:07:50.600 just like, I will turn on a TV and you can watch 00:07:50.600 --> 00:07:54.500 it like I don't. And she will not know like we 00:07:54.500 --> 00:07:57.120 have places to go things to do. Like she puts 00:07:57.120 --> 00:08:00.079 her like rain boots on by like 7am. Oh, we've 00:08:00.079 --> 00:08:05.459 got to go. That's inspiring me. Yes. So she's 00:08:05.459 --> 00:08:09.339 the one thing that she absolutely loves is Barney. 00:08:10.120 --> 00:08:12.319 Yeah. I've seen pictures. She has, doesn't she 00:08:12.319 --> 00:08:14.379 have a, like a stuffed Barney? Yes, she has a 00:08:14.379 --> 00:08:19.439 stuffed baby bop. And bop is it. Love that. But 00:08:19.439 --> 00:08:21.259 I was kind of excited because that's like our 00:08:21.259 --> 00:08:24.639 childhood totally missed it a little bit. But 00:08:24.639 --> 00:08:28.339 Barney, man, Barney has good lessons. He's Barney 00:08:28.339 --> 00:08:32.299 does not age. No, I mean that purple glowing, 00:08:32.360 --> 00:08:36.500 glowing dinosaur skin. I had my husband put on 00:08:36.500 --> 00:08:39.139 an inflatable. He's already six four, but I had 00:08:39.139 --> 00:08:41.600 him put an inflatable Barney costume for her 00:08:41.600 --> 00:08:44.220 first birthday. So it made him like six, whatever 00:08:44.220 --> 00:08:49.970 she didn't. Love it. But all the adults did. 00:08:50.169 --> 00:08:53.149 Was she fearful of... I think, yeah, it was just 00:08:53.149 --> 00:08:55.820 all of a sudden kind of like... That was and 00:08:55.820 --> 00:08:58.639 then tried coming here and she was like no No, 00:08:58.639 --> 00:09:03.480 very dramatic. No Don't do that. So um, but I 00:09:03.480 --> 00:09:05.519 you know, we've we still have it. So in case 00:09:05.519 --> 00:09:07.659 she's a little bit older I'll be right again. 00:09:07.659 --> 00:09:09.220 Yeah third birthday. Maybe you never know when 00:09:09.220 --> 00:09:12.139 that'll come in handy. Yeah, honestly, it's It's 00:09:12.139 --> 00:09:15.759 day. Yeah Barney what so they're they're not 00:09:15.759 --> 00:09:17.740 clamoring for miss Rachel or anything. I mean 00:09:17.740 --> 00:09:20.730 Barney feels like Yeah, maybe the best. Very 00:09:20.730 --> 00:09:23.169 classy. I will tell you it is not annoying in 00:09:23.169 --> 00:09:26.570 the background. It is not like, it's not repetitive. 00:09:26.929 --> 00:09:29.429 There's not a lot of and it's not a cartoon. 00:09:29.909 --> 00:09:33.490 So it's just humans on the screen. And so she 00:09:33.490 --> 00:09:37.570 kind of she'll watch it. And it's all everything's 00:09:37.570 --> 00:09:40.570 a lesson, you know, please and thank yous and 00:09:40.570 --> 00:09:44.110 all the things so right now but ask me in two 00:09:44.110 --> 00:09:47.029 weeks. And it could be we have discovered something 00:09:47.029 --> 00:09:50.590 via daycare that I'm like, Oh, here we go. Let's 00:09:50.590 --> 00:09:53.629 turn that on. This is great. My gosh. Is it true 00:09:53.629 --> 00:09:56.149 that daycare is kind of like a little bit of 00:09:56.149 --> 00:09:57.730 a cesspool? Like are the kids always getting 00:09:57.730 --> 00:10:00.710 sick? They always always Yeah, no, it's everything 00:10:00.710 --> 00:10:03.730 that you've ever heard of. It is I mean, it's 00:10:03.730 --> 00:10:06.129 it's like a little wild west like you drop off 00:10:06.129 --> 00:10:09.759 in it's hysterical too, because Like, it reminds 00:10:09.759 --> 00:10:11.799 me of, like, that scene in Toy Story where all 00:10:11.799 --> 00:10:15.159 the little aliens are like, ooh. Like, you drop 00:10:15.159 --> 00:10:18.360 one off and all of a sudden eight toddlers just 00:10:18.360 --> 00:10:21.200 run over to you and they're like, hug, you. And 00:10:21.200 --> 00:10:25.200 I'm like, it's so sweet. And they all hug each 00:10:25.200 --> 00:10:28.220 other. And they, like, all kiss each other. It's 00:10:28.220 --> 00:10:29.899 so sweet. But you don't maybe want them to be 00:10:29.899 --> 00:10:32.399 kissing all winter. No, because she comes home. 00:10:32.419 --> 00:10:35.360 And I mean, it's out of every... And I'm like, 00:10:35.480 --> 00:10:39.220 what? No. And it's funny, because by the time, 00:10:39.399 --> 00:10:42.460 so our first one, I was like, in a bubble, like 00:10:42.460 --> 00:10:47.279 we are, like, no, we are hands washing, everything's 00:10:47.279 --> 00:10:50.120 clean, like, we've got, yes, oh, the holidays, 00:10:50.299 --> 00:10:52.519 like, not my baby, like, we are keeping everyone. 00:10:53.019 --> 00:10:55.019 And now she's been in daycare. We have a second 00:10:55.019 --> 00:10:57.299 one and it's like, let's go. Like everybody, 00:10:57.320 --> 00:10:59.299 we don't have time. She's, that's not, but we've 00:10:59.299 --> 00:11:02.559 got to go. Like, so it's yeah, but it's exactly 00:11:02.559 --> 00:11:04.759 what you think it is. Oh my gosh. That's so funny. 00:11:04.759 --> 00:11:08.500 I was the oldest of four and about two years 00:11:08.500 --> 00:11:10.299 apart down the line. And I think by the time 00:11:10.299 --> 00:11:12.519 my parents got to the fourth, it was just like, 00:11:13.120 --> 00:11:14.820 yeah, whatever's going to happen is going to 00:11:14.820 --> 00:11:17.659 happen here because factually. And probably going 00:11:17.659 --> 00:11:20.960 from one to two is also like, whoa. Yes. Well, 00:11:20.960 --> 00:11:23.940 my brother has four and it's the same every two. 00:11:23.980 --> 00:11:28.340 And so we are, she's the fifth, my oldest. So 00:11:28.340 --> 00:11:30.500 there was a lot of learning and watching and 00:11:30.500 --> 00:11:33.000 I was like, Oh good. I know how this goes, but 00:11:33.000 --> 00:11:36.059 yeah, you could see by, yeah, by the fourth, 00:11:36.299 --> 00:11:39.559 you're just like, anything goes totally. By the 00:11:39.559 --> 00:11:42.279 second, you're just like, Oh, we, we can't stay 00:11:42.279 --> 00:11:44.860 or you don't want to be locked at home all weekend. 00:11:45.360 --> 00:11:47.379 especially during the winter, you're kind of 00:11:47.379 --> 00:11:49.659 like, okay, we got to get out. And you've got 00:11:49.659 --> 00:11:52.000 places to go. You're a working mom. You have 00:11:52.000 --> 00:11:54.299 a lot of places. Yeah, you're busy. What has 00:11:54.299 --> 00:11:56.620 that been like transitioning to being a working 00:11:56.620 --> 00:11:59.919 mom? That has been it's honestly, I think it's 00:11:59.919 --> 00:12:03.659 been so hard. I mean, it's that's, again, probably 00:12:03.659 --> 00:12:06.639 not a very popular. No, but it's not like so 00:12:06.639 --> 00:12:09.840 you can say you can be honest. Honestly, I think 00:12:09.840 --> 00:12:14.820 it was very, very hard. I I think you are pulled 00:12:14.820 --> 00:12:18.600 into completely opposite directions with they 00:12:18.600 --> 00:12:20.620 don't compare like your children always come 00:12:20.620 --> 00:12:23.179 first. But you've got something that you are 00:12:23.179 --> 00:12:25.980 I work in a nonprofit. So it's a very mission 00:12:25.980 --> 00:12:29.779 oriented something I'm extremely personally passionate 00:12:29.779 --> 00:12:33.220 about. So it doesn't really feel like your normal 00:12:33.220 --> 00:12:35.279 job. It's something that you're going to work 00:12:35.279 --> 00:12:37.740 because you care about it. You love the people 00:12:37.740 --> 00:12:41.049 that you work with you work for a mission. And 00:12:41.049 --> 00:12:43.029 then you have your children and your family. 00:12:43.549 --> 00:12:48.029 And so for me, it made me think, okay, if I'm 00:12:48.029 --> 00:12:50.789 going to spend time away from my kids, I better 00:12:50.789 --> 00:12:54.090 believe in what I'm doing, or I better really 00:12:54.090 --> 00:12:57.309 be okay with what I'm doing with that time away 00:12:57.309 --> 00:13:00.110 from them. And I know that's a luxury thought 00:13:00.110 --> 00:13:03.769 for a lot of people, but I did not find it easy 00:13:03.769 --> 00:13:06.429 at all. I still don't. We did drop off this morning 00:13:06.429 --> 00:13:09.629 and she's just crying, you know, you're just 00:13:09.629 --> 00:13:11.370 crying and hugging and the whole time you're 00:13:11.370 --> 00:13:14.049 like, okay, let's just go home and like cuddle. 00:13:14.250 --> 00:13:20.669 I get it. So it's been hard, but I will say the 00:13:20.669 --> 00:13:24.169 more I actually open up and talk to people about 00:13:24.169 --> 00:13:26.169 like, Hey, I'm having a really hard time with 00:13:26.169 --> 00:13:29.350 this. More people actually will share that with 00:13:29.350 --> 00:13:31.769 me and give me a little bit more like personal 00:13:31.769 --> 00:13:36.309 insight. I was talking to actually I was talking 00:13:36.309 --> 00:13:39.740 to someone who's a doctor about it. And she was 00:13:39.740 --> 00:13:43.980 like, girl, I had two little ones in my first 00:13:43.980 --> 00:13:46.340 year where I was officially, I guess not a resident, 00:13:46.919 --> 00:13:49.059 but above a resident. Yeah. And she was like, 00:13:49.259 --> 00:13:51.519 imagine going to school and it's your whole dream. 00:13:52.259 --> 00:13:55.600 And then I had two under two and how to she was 00:13:55.600 --> 00:13:59.000 like, it was the most confusing thing ever. And 00:13:59.000 --> 00:14:03.000 so it's, I think it's gotten a lot easier. I 00:14:03.000 --> 00:14:05.440 think just anything as you get older, you feel 00:14:05.440 --> 00:14:08.659 more confident in setting boundaries or you feel 00:14:08.659 --> 00:14:12.320 more confident in your decisions. But I think 00:14:12.320 --> 00:14:16.360 it did not come natural for me to leave the two. 00:14:16.419 --> 00:14:18.580 And I think I'm still working on it. So if you 00:14:18.580 --> 00:14:21.399 see my babies at work, it's just because I wanted 00:14:21.399 --> 00:14:23.620 them there that day. And I was just like, let's 00:14:23.620 --> 00:14:25.500 come to work with mom because I want to spend 00:14:25.500 --> 00:14:27.860 time with you and allow you to do that. Oh, yeah. 00:14:28.080 --> 00:14:31.450 Oh, yeah. It's amazing. Where I at Big Brothers 00:14:31.450 --> 00:14:33.830 Big Sisters, it's funny. I'm the only one right 00:14:33.830 --> 00:14:36.690 now that's in the season of littles a lot of 00:14:36.690 --> 00:14:39.610 my co -workers have Older elementary or high 00:14:39.610 --> 00:14:43.070 school and it is so inspiring because they are 00:14:43.070 --> 00:14:46.690 some of the most well -adjusted Amazing kids 00:14:46.690 --> 00:14:49.850 and it's so fun seeing them like talk to their 00:14:49.850 --> 00:14:52.389 parents and they come in and talk to me and I 00:14:52.389 --> 00:14:55.149 don't know we constantly get told like this generation 00:14:55.149 --> 00:14:59.379 and I'm like I need those 14, 15 year olds a 00:14:59.379 --> 00:15:01.580 day and I'm blown away at how awesome they are. 00:15:02.240 --> 00:15:04.639 And so it's fun because we've really tried to 00:15:04.639 --> 00:15:07.000 make it the environment of like, we need to practice 00:15:07.000 --> 00:15:09.860 what we preach. Like we need to be about, you 00:15:09.860 --> 00:15:12.039 know, wellness for the community, wellness for 00:15:12.039 --> 00:15:15.139 families. And I realized I'm not the best boss 00:15:15.139 --> 00:15:18.080 or I'm not the best friend or person that I am 00:15:18.080 --> 00:15:20.740 if I'm just trying to like exclude both parts 00:15:20.740 --> 00:15:23.740 of my life. Like I have to intertwine them. to 00:15:23.740 --> 00:15:26.399 feel like I'm giving a good amount of money, 00:15:26.399 --> 00:15:29.279 if that makes sense. Yes. From our perspective, 00:15:29.340 --> 00:15:31.980 you are balancing it all beautifully. Very nice. 00:15:32.259 --> 00:15:34.720 So we aspire to be like that one day. Oh, gosh. 00:15:34.799 --> 00:15:36.559 Thank you. Let's talk about Big Brothers, Big 00:15:36.559 --> 00:15:39.399 Sisters, how you got involved, when you got involved, 00:15:39.419 --> 00:15:42.759 and what this organization means to you. So I 00:15:42.759 --> 00:15:44.899 love this. I had never worked at a nonprofit 00:15:44.899 --> 00:15:50.220 before, so I was not very, very naive to what 00:15:50.220 --> 00:15:51.860 I was kind of getting into. I'd always worked 00:15:51.860 --> 00:15:56.250 at for -profits. And around COVID, just everything 00:15:56.250 --> 00:15:58.769 was shifting. And do you remember, it was all 00:15:58.769 --> 00:16:01.009 over the news. It was always like make a difference, 00:16:01.370 --> 00:16:03.970 different people that were impacting. We were 00:16:03.970 --> 00:16:06.330 like ringing bells for nurses. Like it just felt 00:16:06.330 --> 00:16:10.389 very like I needed to be doing something. And 00:16:10.389 --> 00:16:13.950 I had myself, my own mentors and individuals 00:16:13.950 --> 00:16:16.990 that I really looked up to and someone that I 00:16:16.990 --> 00:16:21.190 had worked with. or knew personally with Dai 00:16:21.190 --> 00:16:23.929 Boyer. She was very much a mentor of mine, but 00:16:23.929 --> 00:16:27.169 also one of my best friend's mom. And she and 00:16:27.169 --> 00:16:30.070 I had a really powerful conversation one day 00:16:30.070 --> 00:16:31.730 where she just looked at me and she was like, 00:16:31.789 --> 00:16:34.129 I think you're trying to find a mission. And 00:16:34.129 --> 00:16:36.029 I think you're a mission oriented person. And 00:16:36.029 --> 00:16:40.009 I think you've kind of outgrown where you're 00:16:40.009 --> 00:16:41.870 at because you're looking for something totally 00:16:41.870 --> 00:16:43.850 different. And I think you really need to look 00:16:43.850 --> 00:16:46.330 at nonprofits, but find something that really 00:16:47.360 --> 00:16:49.899 represents you, because I didn't have a tie. 00:16:50.379 --> 00:16:52.539 Philanthropy has learned and I didn't have a 00:16:52.539 --> 00:16:56.820 huge philanthropic background. Long story short, 00:16:57.179 --> 00:17:00.059 she reached out to me and there was a posting 00:17:00.059 --> 00:17:03.279 for Big Brothers Big Sisters and all of my conversations 00:17:03.279 --> 00:17:05.599 were really about all of these people that had 00:17:05.599 --> 00:17:08.380 impacted me along the way and how I didn't really 00:17:08.380 --> 00:17:11.000 realize they were mentoring me, but they were 00:17:11.000 --> 00:17:13.339 people that really advised me and I looked up 00:17:13.339 --> 00:17:17.099 to. So we had a conversation and then I met the 00:17:17.099 --> 00:17:20.400 CEO at the time and we clicked just thick as 00:17:20.400 --> 00:17:25.759 thieves instantly. And so that was 2021. So really 00:17:25.759 --> 00:17:29.299 heavy in the COVID time. And I've been there 00:17:29.299 --> 00:17:32.660 ever since. It has been the best decision I've 00:17:32.660 --> 00:17:36.099 ever made. It's exactly where I need to be. And 00:17:36.099 --> 00:17:38.559 exactly where I need to be at this time in my 00:17:38.559 --> 00:17:42.859 life too. With kids, being a new mom. And really 00:17:42.859 --> 00:17:46.039 having a lot of experience in my career at for 00:17:46.039 --> 00:17:48.940 -profits, I think that's brought a really kind 00:17:48.940 --> 00:17:52.559 of unique balance to my job at a nonprofit. You 00:17:52.559 --> 00:17:56.200 don't see that a lot. And so I just, I love it. 00:17:56.240 --> 00:17:59.460 I love our mission. I love, well, you all know 00:17:59.460 --> 00:18:01.940 more than anything, you're two big sisters, but 00:18:01.940 --> 00:18:05.619 it's just, it's a wonderful, wonderful passion. 00:18:06.039 --> 00:18:08.289 Yeah. It's an incredible organization. Yeah. 00:18:08.630 --> 00:18:10.609 And we, I mean, we should talk about maybe our 00:18:10.609 --> 00:18:12.690 experiences a little bit. And I know we've all 00:18:12.690 --> 00:18:15.609 had different experiences with it, but you go 00:18:15.609 --> 00:18:17.529 first. Because you're the reason that I got into 00:18:17.529 --> 00:18:20.049 Big Brothers, Big Sisters. It's such an honor 00:18:20.049 --> 00:18:24.730 for me that you joined. That's like forcing people 00:18:24.730 --> 00:18:27.769 to sign up. That's what we need from all of our 00:18:27.769 --> 00:18:30.069 volunteers. Just drag them in. But like, isn't 00:18:30.069 --> 00:18:32.910 Evi the best person? I had moved to Lexington 00:18:32.910 --> 00:18:35.009 and wanted to get involved with something and 00:18:35.009 --> 00:18:37.069 I saw what Evi was doing with her little unthought. 00:18:37.190 --> 00:18:40.230 That just seems so rewarding and impactful for 00:18:40.230 --> 00:18:42.569 both of them. So, okay, you go. Well, and so 00:18:42.569 --> 00:18:44.430 you said, you know, it was one of the best decisions 00:18:44.430 --> 00:18:45.849 you ever made working there. It was one of the 00:18:45.849 --> 00:18:47.710 best decisions I ever made signing up. I had 00:18:47.710 --> 00:18:49.930 actually thought about signing up in Montana, 00:18:50.250 --> 00:18:52.069 but that was probably five years ago. ago, but 00:18:52.069 --> 00:18:55.309 at the time you, well, I believe this is still 00:18:55.309 --> 00:18:57.269 the policy. You want to be living in a place 00:18:57.269 --> 00:18:59.130 for an extended period of time, right? You don't 00:18:59.130 --> 00:19:01.450 want to sign up and move six months later. And 00:19:01.450 --> 00:19:03.329 when I was living in Montana, I knew that I was 00:19:03.329 --> 00:19:05.930 eventually going to be probably moving on. So 00:19:05.930 --> 00:19:08.230 I didn't do it there. And when I got to Lexington, 00:19:08.309 --> 00:19:11.349 I thought this is the perfect time to sign up 00:19:11.349 --> 00:19:13.589 for an organization like Big Brothers, Big Sisters. 00:19:13.730 --> 00:19:16.730 And so I was matched with a little, I guess that 00:19:16.730 --> 00:19:20.029 was four years ago, probably 2021. Right? Okay. 00:19:20.289 --> 00:19:22.990 COVID times. Because we were still masking and 00:19:22.990 --> 00:19:25.250 doing all those things when I got matched. Allie 00:19:25.250 --> 00:19:27.390 was my first little, they're big brothers, big 00:19:27.390 --> 00:19:30.269 sisters of the blue grass. And she was seven, 00:19:30.289 --> 00:19:32.890 I believe, when we matched. She was my flower 00:19:32.890 --> 00:19:35.869 girl. We just hit it off immediately. Those pictures 00:19:35.869 --> 00:19:39.529 are so sweet. Well, and not only was she so sweet 00:19:39.529 --> 00:19:43.880 at my wedding. so adorable, so beautiful in her 00:19:43.880 --> 00:19:45.980 flower girl dress, but at the time she was really 00:19:45.980 --> 00:19:49.519 obsessed with Michael Jackson. And so after the 00:19:49.519 --> 00:19:51.940 ceremony, she had on this beautiful dress, right? 00:19:52.000 --> 00:19:55.539 She changed into a Michael Jackson costume. And 00:19:55.539 --> 00:19:58.500 my mom had bought her like a glove, like the 00:19:58.500 --> 00:20:01.480 sparkle glove that Michael wore. And she wore 00:20:01.480 --> 00:20:04.900 this at the reception. And she was a highlight. 00:20:05.340 --> 00:20:07.460 And it was actually funny because I think her 00:20:07.460 --> 00:20:09.299 mom had said to me like do you are you okay with 00:20:09.299 --> 00:20:13.059 her wearing and I said Absolutely. I would love 00:20:13.059 --> 00:20:16.019 nothing more than for her to free entertainment. 00:20:17.119 --> 00:20:21.279 Wear her Michael Jackson costume. And so she's 00:20:21.279 --> 00:20:23.779 so funny. She moved she moved last year with 00:20:23.779 --> 00:20:27.240 her mom, they moved to South Carolina. And but 00:20:27.240 --> 00:20:28.799 we still keep in touch. She was just in town 00:20:28.799 --> 00:20:30.480 a few weeks ago, she came to my house for trick 00:20:30.480 --> 00:20:33.019 or treating. She I love her obsessions. And this 00:20:33.019 --> 00:20:34.480 is the thing about kids, right? You know, you 00:20:34.480 --> 00:20:37.119 mentioned your daughter loving Barney, she is 00:20:37.119 --> 00:20:41.180 obsessed now with Alexander Hamilton, the American 00:20:41.180 --> 00:20:43.819 politician. Yeah, so she was Alexander Hamilton 00:20:43.819 --> 00:20:47.599 for Halloween. We watched Hamilton together earlier 00:20:47.599 --> 00:20:49.920 this summer. She introduced me to all because 00:20:49.920 --> 00:20:51.640 I'd never seen it. I'm like probably the last 00:20:51.640 --> 00:20:54.500 person on earth to not have seen Hamilton. But 00:20:54.500 --> 00:20:57.740 so we still keep in touch. Her family's wonderful. 00:20:58.579 --> 00:21:01.819 And yeah, love Ali. And then she after she moved 00:21:01.819 --> 00:21:04.380 last year, I took a little bit of a break because 00:21:04.380 --> 00:21:07.079 I just thought maybe I can have a little bit 00:21:07.079 --> 00:21:09.400 of a break figure out if I you know if this is 00:21:09.400 --> 00:21:11.440 the the mission that I want to keep volunteering 00:21:11.440 --> 00:21:14.420 but I can't stay away from Big Brothers Big Sisters 00:21:14.420 --> 00:21:17.920 so signed back up and I have another little now 00:21:17.920 --> 00:21:21.279 um another little sister Samaya who is just precious 00:21:21.279 --> 00:21:24.880 she is nine years old about to be 10 I believe 00:21:24.880 --> 00:21:28.420 if I'm wrong on the age I'm sorry Samaya um right 00:21:28.420 --> 00:21:30.339 around it she's in the fifth grade and she is 00:21:30.339 --> 00:21:33.569 just You know, I said it at the gala a month 00:21:33.569 --> 00:21:36.650 ago. You kind of think oh no one like it won't 00:21:36.650 --> 00:21:39.069 be a special having another little sister. My 00:21:39.069 --> 00:21:42.089 first little was so amazing. They are equally 00:21:42.089 --> 00:21:45.230 they're like just so special to me. So it's been 00:21:45.230 --> 00:21:48.059 so fun hanging out with Samaya. She teaches me 00:21:48.059 --> 00:21:50.799 like what's hip and with it in fifth grade and 00:21:50.799 --> 00:21:53.460 she's the sweetest like all of these kids that 00:21:53.460 --> 00:21:55.160 I interact with their big brothers big sisters 00:21:55.160 --> 00:21:58.619 are incredible just incredible I took her to 00:21:58.619 --> 00:22:00.680 one of the the first times we hung out we went 00:22:00.680 --> 00:22:02.460 swimming and then I took her to Starbucks and 00:22:02.460 --> 00:22:04.500 I forget what she got like a frappuccino or something 00:22:04.500 --> 00:22:07.019 and she the she said the sweetest thing she said 00:22:07.019 --> 00:22:09.119 thank you you didn't have to do this for me but 00:22:09.119 --> 00:22:16.410 you did Yeah, they're, they're precious. Yeah. 00:22:16.710 --> 00:22:20.890 Well, that's it. That's little moments are just 00:22:20.890 --> 00:22:23.829 massive to a lot of the kids, to all of the kids 00:22:23.829 --> 00:22:26.869 in that organization. And I can't think you both, 00:22:27.009 --> 00:22:29.650 I can't wait to hear your stories here, but I 00:22:29.650 --> 00:22:32.349 just hearing your all's excitement about it and 00:22:32.349 --> 00:22:34.289 how much it means to you and how important it 00:22:34.289 --> 00:22:38.000 is. It's so It's you can hear it from me all 00:22:38.000 --> 00:22:40.460 day But for the individuals who are in it who 00:22:40.460 --> 00:22:43.339 actually volunteered who really take the time 00:22:43.339 --> 00:22:46.680 to develop these relationships it stays with 00:22:46.720 --> 00:22:49.880 are with the kids for life. Well, and for, and 00:22:49.880 --> 00:22:52.319 for the right. I know. And that's something that 00:22:52.319 --> 00:22:55.339 I feel like we need to share those stories more 00:22:55.339 --> 00:22:58.220 because our kids, we can get the impact all day. 00:22:58.319 --> 00:23:00.440 We're evidence -based and more preventative. 00:23:00.480 --> 00:23:03.220 So we have the data to actually show you, we 00:23:03.220 --> 00:23:05.859 can quantify what a positive role model does 00:23:05.859 --> 00:23:08.259 in a child's life. And we're the only evidence 00:23:08.259 --> 00:23:12.119 -based mentoring program to do that. So it's, 00:23:12.240 --> 00:23:15.740 I see that power all day, but It is always when 00:23:15.740 --> 00:23:18.519 I talk to the bigs where they're just like, no, 00:23:19.059 --> 00:23:21.660 my little has changed my life or my little means 00:23:21.660 --> 00:23:24.079 everything to me. And this is what we do. And 00:23:24.079 --> 00:23:27.619 I thought it was going to be this huge commitment, 00:23:28.200 --> 00:23:30.700 but we went to Starbucks and it felt like it 00:23:30.700 --> 00:23:32.960 changed her life. The highlight of her week. 00:23:33.079 --> 00:23:34.900 Can you imagine having Abby as your big girl? 00:23:35.200 --> 00:23:37.319 I can't imagine having either. I'm like, I want 00:23:37.319 --> 00:23:43.759 to join. It does sometimes feel like having. 00:23:44.079 --> 00:23:46.220 And I don't know if my littles would have said 00:23:46.220 --> 00:23:47.859 this, but it's almost like having a little best 00:23:47.859 --> 00:23:49.940 friend that you just get to hang out with because 00:23:49.940 --> 00:23:53.619 I think, you know, the mentoring, the idea of 00:23:53.619 --> 00:23:55.660 mentoring can be really intimidating, especially 00:23:55.660 --> 00:23:57.759 for men. I hear that from men a lot, right? They 00:23:57.759 --> 00:24:00.500 don't think they have what it takes to be a mentor. 00:24:00.859 --> 00:24:04.019 But so much of it is just about hanging out, 00:24:04.119 --> 00:24:07.980 being a positive presence, just Showing up and 00:24:07.980 --> 00:24:12.019 being reliable. One thing I love about Big Brother's 00:24:12.019 --> 00:24:14.160 Big Sisters is that everyone's experience is 00:24:14.160 --> 00:24:16.359 a little different. I'm actually paired with 00:24:16.359 --> 00:24:20.700 a teenager. Riley is 17. She is like the coolest 00:24:20.700 --> 00:24:26.309 person. I tried to ask her thing. I'm like months 00:24:26.309 --> 00:24:29.109 behind on all the trends. I'm like Riley. Everybody's 00:24:29.109 --> 00:24:31.450 saying this six, seven thing. She's like, that's 00:24:31.450 --> 00:24:34.789 so dumb. That's so lame. You're like so behind. 00:24:35.970 --> 00:24:40.490 I didn't realize that we've moved on. Okay. Yeah. 00:24:40.789 --> 00:24:45.069 But I met Riley when she was 15 right when she 00:24:45.069 --> 00:24:48.230 was starting high school. And what a journey. 00:24:48.589 --> 00:24:51.470 Just being a teenager, starting high school. 00:24:51.549 --> 00:24:54.630 She just got a car. She's been, you know, she 00:24:54.630 --> 00:24:57.970 goes to school dances and I don't know, like 00:24:57.970 --> 00:25:00.829 being with someone who's going through that phase 00:25:00.829 --> 00:25:03.470 is so grounding for me. And every time I drop 00:25:03.470 --> 00:25:06.369 her off, I call my mom because I'm like, was 00:25:06.369 --> 00:25:10.089 I, was I like that or did I say things like that 00:25:10.089 --> 00:25:14.509 or do this? And, um, it's just been very eyeopening 00:25:14.509 --> 00:25:16.589 for me. I don't know if you feel like this with 00:25:16.589 --> 00:25:19.930 your littles, but it kind of just reminds you 00:25:19.930 --> 00:25:22.670 what's important reminds you that. You know, 00:25:22.670 --> 00:25:25.210 there are so much more to life that not everything 00:25:25.210 --> 00:25:27.869 is about you, you know, and I don't know. I've 00:25:27.869 --> 00:25:30.130 really loved my time. I've learned a lot from 00:25:30.130 --> 00:25:33.609 Riley and it makes me so excited to see where 00:25:33.609 --> 00:25:36.109 she's going to go because she's grown so much 00:25:36.109 --> 00:25:39.730 just in the few years that I've known her from 00:25:39.730 --> 00:25:42.289 kind of, you know, a freshman in high school 00:25:42.289 --> 00:25:45.410 who wasn't sure what her goals were or, you know, 00:25:45.529 --> 00:25:47.869 where she maybe fell into place, what her interests 00:25:47.869 --> 00:25:51.039 were in now. She, you know, has a job and she 00:25:51.039 --> 00:25:53.119 just got a car and she's thinking about college 00:25:53.119 --> 00:25:56.960 and it's so exciting. How amazing to watch that 00:25:56.960 --> 00:25:58.079 growth. Yeah. You kind of get to have a front 00:25:58.079 --> 00:26:01.259 row seat to this young person as they're navigating 00:26:01.259 --> 00:26:03.980 life. And I get so tickled. Like she'll text 00:26:03.980 --> 00:26:05.720 me sometimes and be like, you know, this thing 00:26:05.720 --> 00:26:08.180 happened at school or like my Halloween costume 00:26:08.180 --> 00:26:14.160 is so cute. It's so fun. Yeah. And an honor too, 00:26:14.180 --> 00:26:16.640 to get to play a role in someone's life. I think 00:26:16.640 --> 00:26:20.140 like that. It is. And I love that you all have 00:26:20.140 --> 00:26:22.859 two totally different ages. Totally. Yeah. The 00:26:22.859 --> 00:26:27.420 high school age is that's always, I think it's 00:26:27.420 --> 00:26:30.079 one of our hardest to match, which is why we 00:26:30.079 --> 00:26:35.629 actually don't enroll a ton of teenagers. because 00:26:35.629 --> 00:26:38.390 it's a harder age gap sometimes to match and 00:26:38.390 --> 00:26:40.470 we don't want someone waiting on the wait list 00:26:40.470 --> 00:26:43.589 who is already 15 turning six years. But they 00:26:43.589 --> 00:26:47.150 do an incredible job. We have an incredible program 00:26:47.150 --> 00:26:50.829 team who the minute that we have a child or family 00:26:50.829 --> 00:26:53.049 or school that calls and says, hey, we have a 00:26:53.049 --> 00:26:56.710 15 -year -old and who needs, you know, this is 00:26:56.710 --> 00:26:58.890 what they're going through and we really think 00:26:58.890 --> 00:27:00.910 this would make all the difference in their life. 00:27:01.279 --> 00:27:03.900 We have an enrollment specialist and a program 00:27:03.900 --> 00:27:07.259 team and case managers who work so closely to 00:27:07.259 --> 00:27:10.980 know every volunteer, every inquiry. And they 00:27:10.980 --> 00:27:14.220 go through these deep levels of interviews to 00:27:14.220 --> 00:27:16.619 make sure that our matching is so intentional. 00:27:16.920 --> 00:27:19.099 And we do our absolute best to be like, okay, 00:27:19.339 --> 00:27:22.119 priority. Let's see how we can make this happen. 00:27:22.740 --> 00:27:24.519 And because there is, there's a special someone 00:27:24.519 --> 00:27:27.420 out there for everybody. And I think, were you 00:27:27.420 --> 00:27:30.849 all surprised when you all got matched? Was there 00:27:30.849 --> 00:27:33.829 any surprises about how quickly your relationship 00:27:33.829 --> 00:27:36.869 formed? Or did it take a little while? What was 00:27:36.869 --> 00:27:39.759 your all's kind of initial...? That's a good 00:27:39.759 --> 00:27:42.420 question. I didn't know that teenagers could 00:27:42.420 --> 00:27:45.900 be littles. So because I was kind of facing what 00:27:45.900 --> 00:27:48.079 I thought my experience would be on Evy's, I 00:27:48.079 --> 00:27:50.319 thought, Oh, I'll probably be matched with a 00:27:50.319 --> 00:27:52.539 little kid. And so when they called him, they 00:27:52.539 --> 00:27:54.440 said, well, she's a teenager. I was like, Whoa, 00:27:54.740 --> 00:27:59.220 okay. Bring it on. But I grew up with brothers. 00:27:59.259 --> 00:28:02.130 So I think part of me always wanted to have um, 00:28:02.130 --> 00:28:04.990 a little sister and maybe her being a little 00:28:04.990 --> 00:28:08.089 older has felt more realistic. Yeah, a little 00:28:08.089 --> 00:28:10.769 closer to my age. I love that. So yeah, that 00:28:10.769 --> 00:28:13.470 was maybe the surprise for me. I'm just always 00:28:13.470 --> 00:28:15.309 amazed at, you know, you mentioned the team, 00:28:15.430 --> 00:28:18.009 how well they do matching people, because every 00:28:18.009 --> 00:28:19.589 time they've called, I mean, it's only been twice. 00:28:19.589 --> 00:28:22.069 Now they say, we really think we have a child 00:28:22.069 --> 00:28:25.369 that will be a great match for you. And, you 00:28:25.369 --> 00:28:27.009 know, sometimes you feel like, Oh, maybe they 00:28:27.009 --> 00:28:29.930 say that. every time just it's what they say 00:28:29.930 --> 00:28:32.109 sure sure sure but there it's true you know you 00:28:32.109 --> 00:28:34.890 after you meet your little and maybe hang out 00:28:34.890 --> 00:28:38.509 a few times it's like oh we have a lot in common 00:28:38.509 --> 00:28:43.029 you know a lot to talk about um you know and 00:28:43.029 --> 00:28:45.750 i've also loved um getting to know my little's 00:28:45.750 --> 00:28:47.849 families i don't know if every i don't know if 00:28:47.849 --> 00:28:49.730 that's always the case where maybe families aren't 00:28:49.730 --> 00:28:51.549 always as involved but i've been blessed to have 00:28:51.549 --> 00:28:54.089 two littles with families who are very involved 00:28:54.089 --> 00:28:59.000 in the program and so Kind and easy to work with 00:28:59.000 --> 00:29:01.779 and just good good people. So I've loved that 00:29:01.779 --> 00:29:04.000 as well It makes you feel really connected to 00:29:04.000 --> 00:29:07.000 your community, which I love. Oh that's spot 00:29:07.000 --> 00:29:11.240 -on No, I really we really do we realize the 00:29:11.240 --> 00:29:15.119 importance of the relationship So we know that 00:29:15.119 --> 00:29:17.640 we really I mean ultimately we view it like we 00:29:17.640 --> 00:29:19.980 have one opportunity to get this match, right? 00:29:19.980 --> 00:29:23.180 And we take the seriousness and safety of the 00:29:23.180 --> 00:29:26.880 child and the volunteer so seriously. So that's 00:29:26.880 --> 00:29:31.920 why it is, it's a process. It is. I mean, background 00:29:31.920 --> 00:29:36.480 checks, interviews, references. I mean, we really 00:29:36.480 --> 00:29:40.579 go above and beyond. I know that we do to make 00:29:40.579 --> 00:29:42.700 sure that we are so intentional about these matching. 00:29:43.119 --> 00:29:46.000 Our match length is actually double the national 00:29:46.000 --> 00:29:49.259 average. And I think it is that then the close 00:29:49.259 --> 00:29:52.859 to like four years. Wow. And so I don't know, 00:29:52.859 --> 00:29:57.039 it's done in months. But it's around four years. 00:29:57.140 --> 00:30:00.220 But it's just it's really phenomenal because 00:30:00.220 --> 00:30:02.819 yet you hear the care and what they talk about. 00:30:03.160 --> 00:30:06.640 And so we do we as family assessments, all of 00:30:06.640 --> 00:30:09.690 that. So it's all meant to happen for a reason. 00:30:10.190 --> 00:30:12.910 But yeah, they really look obviously the safety 00:30:12.910 --> 00:30:15.650 of the child is first and foremost, but it's 00:30:15.650 --> 00:30:18.009 same with the volunteer like we want for the 00:30:18.009 --> 00:30:21.190 big to feel so confident, so secure. I think 00:30:21.190 --> 00:30:23.589 it's really powerful that everybody has a case 00:30:23.589 --> 00:30:26.670 manager or social worker. That's another piece 00:30:26.670 --> 00:30:31.049 of the program that I think doesn't get as much 00:30:31.049 --> 00:30:34.349 of a spotlight as it should. The value of having 00:30:34.589 --> 00:30:38.490 social workers and case managers overseeing those 00:30:38.490 --> 00:30:41.849 relationships. One is, you know, a backup for 00:30:41.849 --> 00:30:44.809 support, but also because, yeah, a lot of our 00:30:44.809 --> 00:30:48.990 kids have gone through a lot of really traumatic 00:30:48.990 --> 00:30:53.089 experiences and we don't expect volunteers to 00:30:53.089 --> 00:30:58.589 come equipped to know how to handle XYZ. So we 00:30:58.589 --> 00:31:01.430 really want, you know, this relationship to stay 00:31:01.430 --> 00:31:05.069 fun and positive and consistent. And we want 00:31:05.069 --> 00:31:07.150 to make it easy and we want to make it so that 00:31:07.150 --> 00:31:10.150 a kid gets to just be a kid. And then the case 00:31:10.150 --> 00:31:13.150 manager can really help fill those gaps and support 00:31:13.150 --> 00:31:16.670 that relationship. And it's all I mean, it is 00:31:16.670 --> 00:31:19.210 all free. You know, we do not charge for any 00:31:19.210 --> 00:31:21.970 of our services for any of our trainings for 00:31:21.970 --> 00:31:27.190 so it's a it's a really powerful. Piece of our 00:31:27.190 --> 00:31:30.210 program that I think kind of gets understated 00:31:30.210 --> 00:31:33.450 for the magnitude of support its surprise or 00:31:33.450 --> 00:31:36.650 Supports for kids and families. Definitely. Let's 00:31:36.650 --> 00:31:40.109 talk about who can be bigs and what the commitment 00:31:40.109 --> 00:31:42.069 looks like if someone is watching you're listening 00:31:42.069 --> 00:31:50.730 and thinking, you know, okay So bigs are anyone 00:31:50.730 --> 00:31:54.329 over the age of 18 There's a lot of nuances with 00:31:54.329 --> 00:31:57.319 that because we do federal background checks, 00:31:57.619 --> 00:32:00.640 state background checks. We do license. You need 00:32:00.640 --> 00:32:02.720 referrals. You've got to go through that whole 00:32:02.720 --> 00:32:06.880 intake process. But over the age of 18, and then 00:32:06.880 --> 00:32:10.420 we do tend to have more young boys on our wait 00:32:10.420 --> 00:32:13.059 list. So we're always looking for young men who 00:32:13.059 --> 00:32:15.339 are interested in just being a cool big brother. 00:32:16.299 --> 00:32:19.180 It's really powerful. It's one hour once a week. 00:32:19.450 --> 00:32:22.329 We do realize that, you know, everybody has a 00:32:22.329 --> 00:32:25.750 life so it's we understand there's a lot of flexibility 00:32:25.750 --> 00:32:28.609 to that but one hour once a week I was talking 00:32:28.609 --> 00:32:32.069 to Yet last night we spoke at a panel for UK 00:32:32.069 --> 00:32:35.289 student athletics were the official partner of 00:32:35.289 --> 00:32:38.730 UK You know student athletes and the panel was 00:32:38.730 --> 00:32:41.869 of former and current student athletes who are 00:32:41.869 --> 00:32:44.529 bigs and One of the things we talked about was 00:32:44.529 --> 00:32:47.269 the one hour a week commitment and I was like 00:32:47.269 --> 00:32:49.650 guys I don't want to shame anybody, especially 00:32:49.650 --> 00:32:51.730 myself, but if we pull out our phone and we look 00:32:51.730 --> 00:32:55.250 at our screen time, like our scrolling chart, 00:32:55.410 --> 00:32:59.089 I was like, we've got an hour. We've got one 00:32:59.089 --> 00:33:01.970 hour once a week. And of course, and we also 00:33:01.970 --> 00:33:05.839 try to, you know, we're trying to get even. you 00:33:05.839 --> 00:33:08.000 know, more involved by giving them activities 00:33:08.000 --> 00:33:10.559 to do, providing them, you know, coupons and 00:33:10.559 --> 00:33:13.920 places to go, really kind of help guide the process. 00:33:15.039 --> 00:33:18.960 So and then to enroll children, we enroll, right 00:33:18.960 --> 00:33:21.319 now we're enrolling about age six to age 14, 00:33:21.380 --> 00:33:23.599 but you can be in our program from age six to 00:33:23.599 --> 00:33:26.140 age 18. But we always say once you're in our 00:33:26.140 --> 00:33:28.279 program, you're in it for life. So you might 00:33:28.279 --> 00:33:30.380 be 18 and going off to college, but you're always 00:33:30.380 --> 00:33:32.299 going to be a little and you always have the 00:33:32.299 --> 00:33:34.940 support of our program coming back to that. That's 00:33:34.940 --> 00:33:37.400 so amazing. What are some of the things that 00:33:37.400 --> 00:33:39.460 you like to do with your little since you've 00:33:39.460 --> 00:33:42.660 had younger littles, what are the activities 00:33:42.660 --> 00:33:45.019 y 'all do? We do all sorts of things. One thing 00:33:45.019 --> 00:33:49.940 we went to recently was what is the the apple 00:33:49.940 --> 00:33:55.240 orchard and pumpkin farm in Scott County? That 00:33:55.240 --> 00:34:05.799 is one we went to a different one We went to 00:34:05.799 --> 00:34:07.920 Evans recently just for the afternoon and there 00:34:07.920 --> 00:34:09.639 was like no one there It was a beautiful day 00:34:09.639 --> 00:34:12.800 and we played on all the equipment and we got 00:34:12.800 --> 00:34:15.239 we took pictures We did a little photo shoot 00:34:15.239 --> 00:34:17.519 with all the different photo opportunities. They 00:34:17.519 --> 00:34:19.460 have there we had so much fun But you know, we've 00:34:19.460 --> 00:34:23.500 gone to the movies the library Chick -fil -a 00:34:23.500 --> 00:34:26.480 and it's not a week goes by that I don't get 00:34:26.480 --> 00:34:28.360 a text from Big Brothers Big Sisters saying hey 00:34:28.360 --> 00:34:31.019 we have yeah these tickets for this event tonight 00:34:31.019 --> 00:34:34.019 or you know we're all here's an activity or going 00:34:34.019 --> 00:34:37.260 bowling or here's a free it's all yeah free it's 00:34:37.260 --> 00:34:39.500 already organized and set up what do you all 00:34:39.500 --> 00:34:42.969 do Well, Riley is a teenager. So we like to go 00:34:42.969 --> 00:34:46.590 to the mall. Love. I know you love them all. 00:34:47.010 --> 00:34:50.670 She's very into makeup. So we'll go to Sephora, 00:34:51.989 --> 00:34:54.929 Starbucks, we'll grab dinner because my schedule 00:34:54.929 --> 00:34:57.090 is I get off work, you know, a little later in 00:34:57.090 --> 00:34:59.309 the evening. Usually I pick her up in the evenings 00:34:59.309 --> 00:35:02.230 and we'll go grab dinner, which just goes to 00:35:02.230 --> 00:35:04.750 show that you can make it work for your schedule. 00:35:04.789 --> 00:35:07.550 It's not like You have to have a job where you 00:35:07.550 --> 00:35:09.690 are off at 5 p .m. And then you're committing 00:35:09.690 --> 00:35:11.969 the whole evening to your little you can make 00:35:11.969 --> 00:35:14.989 it work with what you're doing. And going back 00:35:14.989 --> 00:35:18.429 to how the pairs make sense, you know, Riley 00:35:18.429 --> 00:35:21.510 is a teenager, so it's not an issue for her if 00:35:21.510 --> 00:35:23.690 we're not hanging out until I get off at 730 00:35:23.690 --> 00:35:27.130 p .m. You know, she's staying up late. But yeah, 00:35:27.329 --> 00:35:29.349 that's kind of what we do. It's really kind of, 00:35:29.349 --> 00:35:32.300 you know, the activities. It's kind of whatever 00:35:32.300 --> 00:35:34.159 you can think of that sounds fun to both you 00:35:34.159 --> 00:35:35.980 and your little, you know, I mean, within reason, 00:35:36.099 --> 00:35:37.639 right. And obviously keeping safety in mind, 00:35:37.639 --> 00:35:40.599 but it's, I'm always texting Samaya's mom saying, 00:35:40.719 --> 00:35:43.880 does this sound fun? And she has ideas too, that 00:35:43.880 --> 00:35:46.639 she wants to do. So she just wants to see you, 00:35:46.940 --> 00:35:49.260 whatever, whatever you two do together. It's 00:35:49.260 --> 00:35:51.280 really, that's what it is. It's that consistency. 00:35:51.760 --> 00:35:53.880 But that's what one of the tip piggyback on that. 00:35:53.960 --> 00:35:56.280 That's what one of the student athletes on our 00:35:56.280 --> 00:35:59.119 panel, she plays soccer for University of Kentucky. 00:35:59.340 --> 00:36:02.179 So she'll have games or some commitments and 00:36:02.179 --> 00:36:04.559 team commitments. And she'll be like, Oh, I've 00:36:04.559 --> 00:36:05.780 got to go to the men's game. She'll just pick 00:36:05.780 --> 00:36:07.280 up her little and we'll go to the men's soccer 00:36:07.280 --> 00:36:09.880 game. And then like her teammates have gotten 00:36:09.880 --> 00:36:12.179 to know like she's like a little sister to them. 00:36:12.460 --> 00:36:14.260 It's just it. That's what she said. She was like, 00:36:14.280 --> 00:36:16.480 I just kind of fold her into my life and she 00:36:16.480 --> 00:36:19.000 loves what I do. And I love being around her. 00:36:19.119 --> 00:36:21.739 And they have just this really cute dynamic. 00:36:21.980 --> 00:36:26.519 So it's, it's not to over overthink it. But I 00:36:26.519 --> 00:36:29.219 think You had said something earlier about like 00:36:29.219 --> 00:36:32.400 mentoring, the word mentoring, I think can be 00:36:32.400 --> 00:36:34.800 really intimidating. It feels like you have to 00:36:34.800 --> 00:36:37.920 like impart some seriousness, you know? And I'm 00:36:37.920 --> 00:36:40.099 like, I think if someone was like, you have to 00:36:40.099 --> 00:36:44.360 mentor this, I would be like, we're all part 00:36:44.360 --> 00:36:48.320 of this organization. And so instead, that's 00:36:48.320 --> 00:36:50.760 why I like that it's called Big Brother Big Sister, 00:36:51.039 --> 00:36:54.059 you know, it is, we really just emphasize, you 00:36:54.059 --> 00:36:57.469 know, just. consistency. Have fun. You know, 00:36:57.530 --> 00:37:00.389 we make friendship bracelets. We just go to the 00:37:00.389 --> 00:37:02.849 park, walk around the park, check on their day, 00:37:03.409 --> 00:37:06.030 like, let them have a little outlet to just have 00:37:06.030 --> 00:37:09.570 someone to talk to or kind of to listen to them. 00:37:09.769 --> 00:37:12.510 Oh, yeah. That's a that's so that's so important. 00:37:12.929 --> 00:37:16.010 Everyone needs that. Definitely. Is there a moment 00:37:16.010 --> 00:37:18.329 that you've had or a story you've heard that 00:37:18.329 --> 00:37:21.750 really resonated with you about maybe how mentorship 00:37:21.750 --> 00:37:25.250 changed a little's life? We have, we have so 00:37:25.250 --> 00:37:28.969 many. I, everyone at work laughs. I cry like 00:37:28.969 --> 00:37:31.550 every Wednesday at huddle because they'll like 00:37:31.550 --> 00:37:34.269 tell a story of just like, it's not even like 00:37:34.269 --> 00:37:36.670 a success story, if you will. It's just like, 00:37:36.829 --> 00:37:38.429 Oh, this is really fun. They identified this 00:37:38.429 --> 00:37:41.070 and they got over this fear. And I'm like, So 00:37:41.070 --> 00:37:44.889 beautiful, but we have so many stories. Last 00:37:44.889 --> 00:37:47.969 night I was talking to a big, and he's been with 00:37:47.969 --> 00:37:50.489 his little for a couple of years now, but the 00:37:50.489 --> 00:37:52.849 first year that they were together, it really 00:37:52.849 --> 00:37:56.110 got identified that he had kind of made it through 00:37:56.110 --> 00:37:58.349 school a little bit without knowing how to read. 00:37:59.550 --> 00:38:03.570 And he started slowly picking that up and realizing 00:38:03.570 --> 00:38:06.809 like, like we, I'm going to, I'm going to work 00:38:06.809 --> 00:38:12.380 on this with him. And without, Making it so obvious 00:38:12.380 --> 00:38:14.699 that he started doing things like we'd go to 00:38:14.699 --> 00:38:17.460 like McDonald's and I'd be like no like order 00:38:17.460 --> 00:38:19.699 off the menu and what are these words say and 00:38:19.699 --> 00:38:21.659 he would point out street signs and read them 00:38:21.659 --> 00:38:27.280 to him and He just slowly and now he's just thriving 00:38:27.280 --> 00:38:31.280 in school He realizes like some of his maybe 00:38:31.280 --> 00:38:33.579 behavioral or confidence issues came from the 00:38:33.579 --> 00:38:36.579 fact that he was kind of hiding that he didn't, 00:38:36.579 --> 00:38:39.099 I mean, he didn't know how to read. And so I 00:38:39.099 --> 00:38:41.679 think it's just feeling overlooked or not being 00:38:41.679 --> 00:38:45.639 seen. And someone who you admire looks at you 00:38:45.639 --> 00:38:47.519 and is like, No, you're great. I'm going to help 00:38:47.519 --> 00:38:52.780 you with this. I mean, I'm at my age, if someone 00:38:52.780 --> 00:38:55.179 that's what I'm still looking for. I'm always 00:38:55.179 --> 00:38:57.280 looking to talk to people to say, Hey, can you 00:38:57.280 --> 00:39:00.460 show me this or I need help with this or It's 00:39:00.460 --> 00:39:03.619 very very powerful and we have so many incidents 00:39:03.619 --> 00:39:07.260 or we have so many matches where that is their 00:39:07.260 --> 00:39:09.119 story where it's just I discovered something 00:39:09.119 --> 00:39:12.239 about my little that he It wasn't a behavioral 00:39:12.239 --> 00:39:15.000 thing. It was a fear thing or it was they were 00:39:15.000 --> 00:39:17.699 not being seen or they had some issues and now 00:39:17.699 --> 00:39:19.699 all of a sudden They're loving school, which 00:39:19.699 --> 00:39:22.829 means They're not as truant at school or they're 00:39:22.829 --> 00:39:24.610 teachers. They're having better interactions 00:39:24.610 --> 00:39:26.630 with their teachers. They're not getting into 00:39:26.630 --> 00:39:29.769 as many fights. We realized like that is such 00:39:29.769 --> 00:39:33.369 a pattern of behavior with kids. A lot of kids 00:39:33.369 --> 00:39:37.849 that are deemed, you know, that they're getting 00:39:37.849 --> 00:39:40.650 in fights at school or being trouble makers. 00:39:42.070 --> 00:39:45.920 Something else is going on. It is. I mean, it's 00:39:45.920 --> 00:39:49.300 there's so many people who just were busy and 00:39:49.300 --> 00:39:52.699 all of those things. But man, breaking that down 00:39:52.699 --> 00:39:55.199 and then building up a whole new confidence, 00:39:55.780 --> 00:39:58.480 that's I mean, that's transformative. Yeah. And 00:39:58.480 --> 00:40:00.820 think about the trajectory then if you're not 00:40:00.820 --> 00:40:03.119 afraid to go to school, or if you're not embarrassed 00:40:03.119 --> 00:40:06.119 to raise your hand, or then also they have the 00:40:06.119 --> 00:40:09.400 confidence to look at another kid who might be 00:40:09.400 --> 00:40:13.130 we've had that all the time where we had a a 00:40:13.130 --> 00:40:15.190 young boy, the last match appreciation, he was 00:40:15.190 --> 00:40:19.590 like, I stick up now for my friends who are like 00:40:19.590 --> 00:40:22.610 the way he said it. I was like, Oh, that's so 00:40:22.610 --> 00:40:24.929 sweet. Like he just feels very protective of 00:40:24.929 --> 00:40:27.329 the people around him now because he has a big 00:40:27.329 --> 00:40:29.489 brother who looks out for him. And I just thought, 00:40:30.070 --> 00:40:34.869 gosh, it's just, it's the ripple. Oh, it's a 00:40:34.869 --> 00:40:38.210 community issue. I mean, it's a community social 00:40:38.210 --> 00:40:40.369 health. I'm learning a lot right now over the 00:40:40.369 --> 00:40:43.389 past year. Even though I've been a Big Brothers, 00:40:43.530 --> 00:40:45.289 Big Sisters for four years, I did fundraising 00:40:45.289 --> 00:40:47.949 for a lot of it. And I'm deep into the program 00:40:47.949 --> 00:40:51.769 now for the past year. And the impact of social 00:40:51.769 --> 00:40:55.650 health and where that starts. I mean, it starts 00:40:55.650 --> 00:40:58.650 at home. It starts with kids. And really what 00:40:58.650 --> 00:41:03.050 we're doing is, I mean, transforming these relationships. 00:41:03.050 --> 00:41:05.730 And when you have children who have experienced 00:41:05.730 --> 00:41:09.590 a lot of traumatic things, and not only are you 00:41:09.590 --> 00:41:12.929 acknowledging that you're trying to break down 00:41:12.929 --> 00:41:15.909 that, break down those barriers, but then replace 00:41:15.909 --> 00:41:19.489 them with positive memories, with positive and 00:41:19.489 --> 00:41:23.489 hopeful outcomes to really ignite that potential. 00:41:23.690 --> 00:41:25.010 That's what we say all the time at Big Brothers, 00:41:25.190 --> 00:41:27.690 Big Sisters, because it's true. And, you know, 00:41:27.730 --> 00:41:30.949 when you hear we've had 100 % of our kids graduate 00:41:30.949 --> 00:41:33.090 high school, the past couple years, when you 00:41:33.090 --> 00:41:36.530 hear that our kids have been out of the juvenile 00:41:36.530 --> 00:41:40.989 justice system, it's because that's truly from 00:41:40.989 --> 00:41:43.550 the relationship with the big and the little. 00:41:43.690 --> 00:41:46.429 I mean, it's so powerful. Has having kids of 00:41:46.429 --> 00:41:50.710 your own changed how you see the need for mentorship? 00:41:52.050 --> 00:41:54.610 A thousand percent. We are not meant to do this 00:41:54.610 --> 00:41:56.429 alone. Well, it goes back to the village thing 00:41:56.429 --> 00:41:59.190 you were talking about, right? Absolutely. We 00:41:59.190 --> 00:42:01.650 are not meant to do this alone. So yes, there 00:42:01.650 --> 00:42:05.619 are, you know, we have children who have incarcerated 00:42:05.619 --> 00:42:08.059 parents or parents that were affected by the 00:42:08.059 --> 00:42:11.039 opioid crisis or being raised by grandparents. 00:42:11.159 --> 00:42:13.420 We have all of those circumstances. We have a 00:42:13.420 --> 00:42:17.159 lot of circumstances where individuals, mothers, 00:42:17.380 --> 00:42:19.940 fathers, grandparents are doing everything they 00:42:19.940 --> 00:42:22.599 can, but you just need more people. You need 00:42:22.599 --> 00:42:25.519 a village. You might, and so it's really just. 00:42:25.690 --> 00:42:29.309 adding that and being able to work alongside 00:42:29.309 --> 00:42:31.769 with these families, I think is just such a powerful 00:42:31.769 --> 00:42:34.469 thing for kids to see adults getting along and 00:42:34.469 --> 00:42:38.110 adult interaction and kids getting to be kids. 00:42:38.750 --> 00:42:41.610 And now that I've had, yes, I'm like, Oh my goodness, 00:42:41.909 --> 00:42:45.809 I can't imagine one doing this without a partner 00:42:45.809 --> 00:42:49.329 or and then without individuals. But yeah, you 00:42:49.329 --> 00:42:52.780 we have to have community support. We need human 00:42:52.780 --> 00:42:56.559 to human interaction. We need that. That's, that's 00:42:56.559 --> 00:42:59.260 what we're, you know, meant to do. So I think 00:42:59.260 --> 00:43:01.579 it's just a phenomenal program. Yeah. I love 00:43:01.579 --> 00:43:03.940 it. If you had a call to, I mean, we've been 00:43:03.940 --> 00:43:06.079 talking about it the whole time, but kind of 00:43:06.079 --> 00:43:12.119 what more do we need? A call to action. I mean, 00:43:12.219 --> 00:43:14.380 we are all so passionate about this, but what 00:43:14.380 --> 00:43:17.280 would you say to really get people on board? 00:43:17.860 --> 00:43:20.440 Well, right now, our biggest need is funding. 00:43:20.639 --> 00:43:25.659 I mean, that really is where we're at. The community 00:43:25.659 --> 00:43:27.780 need for our program has never been higher. We 00:43:27.780 --> 00:43:31.480 are getting calls from schools, from behavioral 00:43:31.480 --> 00:43:35.019 health clinics, from families, from courts saying 00:43:35.019 --> 00:43:38.440 this is what our kids need. So we know that what 00:43:38.440 --> 00:43:42.760 we're doing works. The financial support, it 00:43:42.760 --> 00:43:46.639 is a necessity in order to support these matches 00:43:46.639 --> 00:43:49.079 and do what we need to do to train and enroll. 00:43:50.059 --> 00:43:52.780 We've lost a little, you know, federal funding's 00:43:52.780 --> 00:43:55.599 been hard and so we are really calling on our 00:43:55.599 --> 00:43:58.820 community and our community partners because 00:43:58.820 --> 00:44:01.420 what we're doing affects the health of our community. 00:44:01.679 --> 00:44:03.880 We're in over half of the schools in Fayette 00:44:03.880 --> 00:44:07.199 County alone and so there isn't a zip code that 00:44:07.199 --> 00:44:10.139 we don't touch. So right now we're really trying 00:44:10.139 --> 00:44:13.300 to find, you know, businesses that are interested 00:44:13.300 --> 00:44:16.719 in partnering with us that are mission oriented 00:44:16.719 --> 00:44:19.559 into your funding. There's a lot of individuals 00:44:19.559 --> 00:44:22.880 for tax purposes that are looking to donate, 00:44:22.880 --> 00:44:25.300 you know, their donor advice funds, or they want 00:44:25.300 --> 00:44:27.019 to work with their wealth management to kind 00:44:27.019 --> 00:44:31.139 of donate a nonprofit. We welcome that at any 00:44:31.139 --> 00:44:32.800 time, but at the end of the year, I know it's 00:44:32.800 --> 00:44:35.320 a big one. And we're also doing, we just found 00:44:35.320 --> 00:44:39.449 out we were selected for Buffalo Trace did 100 00:44:39.449 --> 00:44:42.710 bourbons for 100 charities. And so we received 00:44:42.710 --> 00:44:47.610 six high -end exclusive bottles of Weller. So 00:44:47.610 --> 00:44:50.369 we bundled them together and we're selling the 00:44:50.369 --> 00:44:52.650 tickets for $100 a ticket, but we're only doing 00:44:52.650 --> 00:44:56.570 250 tickets. Very minimum quantity so you have 00:44:56.570 --> 00:44:59.420 a really high chance of winning. and we are going 00:44:59.420 --> 00:45:02.320 to draw that on December 18th. So that's a good 00:45:02.320 --> 00:45:04.780 one too for individuals who are, you know, it's 00:45:04.780 --> 00:45:06.639 around the holidays. That's a fun, you know, 00:45:06.800 --> 00:45:08.940 fun holiday gift, but it's a great way because 00:45:08.940 --> 00:45:11.380 a hundred percent of that raffle goes back to 00:45:11.380 --> 00:45:13.900 our organization. So we got that at zero cost. 00:45:13.940 --> 00:45:16.039 So we really want to push that and hope that, 00:45:16.039 --> 00:45:18.000 you know, it's a hundred dollars. So we are so 00:45:18.000 --> 00:45:20.380 grateful for anyone that purchases the ticket. 00:45:20.719 --> 00:45:23.320 Okay. It is just a good time of year too. I think 00:45:23.320 --> 00:45:26.500 as people are kind of. Um, maybe evaluating goals 00:45:26.500 --> 00:45:28.940 for next year and thinking of what they're grateful 00:45:28.940 --> 00:45:31.840 for and the community around them. So a good 00:45:31.840 --> 00:45:34.079 time to be thinking maybe how to incorporate 00:45:34.079 --> 00:45:36.219 something like big brothers, big sisters into 00:45:36.219 --> 00:45:40.400 your life. Oh, we absolutely. Yes. 2026 get to 00:45:40.400 --> 00:45:43.760 know us, call us, follow us on social media, 00:45:44.039 --> 00:45:46.940 all the things we, um, we are here and we are 00:45:46.940 --> 00:45:49.019 needed and we want to be around a lot longer. 00:45:49.159 --> 00:45:51.460 So we definitely need some help while I'm speaking 00:45:51.460 --> 00:45:54.369 of, you know, the holidays. This episode will 00:45:54.369 --> 00:45:56.809 come out just before Thanksgiving. So we have 00:45:56.809 --> 00:45:59.090 just a few days. So we have to ask you, what 00:45:59.090 --> 00:46:01.949 are you thankful for this year? What comes to 00:46:01.949 --> 00:46:05.929 top the top of your mind? My family, my health, 00:46:06.510 --> 00:46:09.849 my life, just, I mean, the the true things that 00:46:09.849 --> 00:46:13.050 we take for granted or not we that I can take 00:46:13.050 --> 00:46:18.320 for granted just daily. I I really have to scale 00:46:18.320 --> 00:46:20.579 back every morning and just, yeah, I've got a 00:46:20.579 --> 00:46:23.760 roof over my head. I can drive to work in the 00:46:23.760 --> 00:46:28.539 snow. We are healthy. I am very grateful for 00:46:28.539 --> 00:46:31.900 all of that. Yeah. Yeah. Me too. You spend a 00:46:31.900 --> 00:46:34.340 few minutes watching the news and you realize 00:46:34.340 --> 00:46:39.239 how good you have it. You do. Like the older 00:46:39.239 --> 00:46:41.300 I get, the more of that question makes me kind 00:46:41.300 --> 00:46:47.500 of emo, right? That's how I feel. Because I just 00:46:47.500 --> 00:46:50.019 like, yeah, I used to think of so much other 00:46:50.019 --> 00:46:52.539 stuff. And I'm like, Oh, my gosh, like, could 00:46:52.539 --> 00:46:54.639 you just get caught up in your daily grind? Why 00:46:54.639 --> 00:46:56.579 don't I have this or I need more of this or I 00:46:56.579 --> 00:46:59.380 need a bigger thing? Like, and you do you take 00:46:59.380 --> 00:47:02.599 a breath and you're like, Wow, we're I'm okay. 00:47:03.769 --> 00:47:07.449 It's all going to be fine. Yes. Yes. Well, Meredith, 00:47:07.510 --> 00:47:10.710 thank you so much for coming on the pod. As anticipated, 00:47:10.909 --> 00:47:13.650 we did yap. How long have we gone? I just lanced 00:47:13.650 --> 00:47:16.730 at the clock and I was like, oh, okay. It's that 00:47:16.730 --> 00:47:18.510 time. I think we have a meeting we have to get 00:47:18.510 --> 00:47:20.929 to for Big Brothers, Big Sisters. We do. They'll 00:47:20.929 --> 00:47:23.809 have to wait for us. We have things to do, people 00:47:23.809 --> 00:47:26.429 to see. Yes, but this has been so fun. This has 00:47:26.429 --> 00:47:30.409 been amazing. Thank you all so much. I have loved 00:47:30.409 --> 00:47:32.130 getting to know you two through Big Brothers. 00:47:32.199 --> 00:47:36.219 and you two are not only amazing big sisters 00:47:36.219 --> 00:47:39.320 but just everything that you do to support our 00:47:39.320 --> 00:47:43.230 organization it means the world to us, but I 00:47:43.230 --> 00:47:45.570 have loved getting to know you too. And the support 00:47:45.570 --> 00:47:47.730 you have shown me, I just, I can't thank you 00:47:47.730 --> 00:47:50.809 enough. And so I was delighted to be here. I 00:47:50.809 --> 00:47:53.130 will come yap any time. Yes, we need you. And 00:47:53.130 --> 00:47:54.929 we didn't tell her to say all of that, by the 00:47:54.929 --> 00:47:57.170 way, we didn't. No, they don't. I just, I try 00:47:57.170 --> 00:47:59.150 to tell them every day where I'm like, thank 00:47:59.150 --> 00:48:01.690 you all so much. You were amazing. Cause I deeply 00:48:01.690 --> 00:48:03.570 mean it. Well, we feel the same about you and 00:48:03.570 --> 00:48:05.409 thanks for including us always in big brothers, 00:48:05.730 --> 00:48:08.429 big sisters events. It's always, always a joy. 00:48:08.550 --> 00:48:10.929 And for those listening or watching, Hot Mike, 00:48:11.130 --> 00:48:12.769 I never remember which camera to look at for 00:48:12.769 --> 00:48:15.010 this part. I think I looked at the wrong one 00:48:15.010 --> 00:48:18.389 earlier. This one. Thank you, Robert. Look into 00:48:18.389 --> 00:48:21.110 Big Brothers, Big Sisters. We hope this inspired 00:48:21.110 --> 00:48:24.610 you to maybe give or just learn more about the 00:48:24.610 --> 00:48:26.849 program. It's had such a positive impact on all 00:48:26.849 --> 00:48:28.869 three of us. Meredith, thank you so much for 00:48:28.869 --> 00:48:30.829 joining. We'll have you back on the pod. Not 00:48:30.829 --> 00:48:33.630 worried about that at all. Thank you for listening 00:48:33.630 --> 00:48:36.829 and watching this week's episode of Hot Mike.