Meet ‘Big Couple’ Joey and Jenni

by Megan Russell

Joey and Jenni are what we call a “Big Couple”. They chose to volunteer as mentors together to guarantee that at least one of them can see their Little Brother, Avante, each week.

Not only that, they will tell you themselves that they have very different personalities which has also helped them relate to Avante in different ways. Jenni is a music teacher and has bonded with Avante through his involvement in school choir. Joey loves being outdoors and he and Avante have bonded over skateboarding and riding bicycles.

Although they’ve done many fun things over the past two years from horseback riding to attending Stars games, they agree that some of their most favorite time spent together is a simple night at Jenni and Joey’s home making dinner. Coming from a large family, Avante loves the one-on-one time with his Bigs.

Joey, Avante and Jenni at a hockey game.

“Every week we see him smiling and doing something he enjoys,” Joey says. “And in the longer term, we know we are helping him to overcome the challenges in his life.”

Thanks to supporters like you, hundreds of young people like Avante are getting the support and guidance they need from their BBBS mentor.

Interested in becoming a mentor? To find out more, please visit our volunteer page. Don’t have the time to volunteer, but still want to help? Please consider donating to invest in a meaning mentoring relationship like this one.