Testimony

PATRICK’S STORY

A Match that shaped the man he would become.

Little Brother Patrick joined Big Brothers Big Sisters of Cornwall and District (BBBS) when he was 6 years old. His mother heard about BBBS programs, and she is the one who thought that this might be a good opportunity for him. Patrick's parents separated when he was a year old. After a couple of years with BBBS group programs, Patrick was matched with his Big Brother D'Arcy when he was 9 years old. D'Arcy put Pat at ease right away. They saw each other every week. Pat says, "Other than my mom, D'Arcy was the most consistent presence in my life. He gave me opportunities I could only dream of. During my teenage years, I had made a few bad choices. D'Arcy helped me find my way. He did so by teaching skills I still use to this day: organizational skills, social skills, and helping and being a part of our community. D'Arcy always emphasized the importance of education. He was supporting me while I was doing my Police Foundations diploma at Algonquin College and later my degree in Criminal Justice at Carleton University. Today, I am a social worker at the Children's Aid Society of SD&G, helping families and children who need assistance and helping them in their journey to achieve stability." To Patrick, D'Arcy is more than a friend or a Big Brother... He is family. He is his father figure; the one he can always count on. "At some point in my life, I had a stepfather that was abusive. D'Arcy played a critical role in explaining to me the cycle of violence and the patterns it involved and that it is never ok to be abused. He taught me that it was ok, as a man, to express the emotions we are feeling and that it was ok to experience these emotions."

When Patrick is asked what he would like to say to D'Arcy, he mentions the following: "Thank you for always being there. Thank you for never giving up on me. Even when I was keeping you at arm's length, you were always there, keeping an eye on me. Because of you, I am the man that I am today. You have shaped me into the father that I will one day become."

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