Editor's Note: For many charitable organizations, the holiday season, like the rest of the year, is a time to connect people in need to solutions to some of life's toughest problems. It's also a great time to look out for your neighbors. That's why, in the week leading up to Christmas, we're using our "A Christmas Wish" series to showcase community members whose lives have been enriched by the work of United Way of Central Missouri partner agencies and, by extension, generous community members.
Energetic 11-year-old Askari Steward knows he has to behave in class because his big brother could show up at school any moment to check on him. Big brother Floyd Earl won't take his little to Lincoln University basketball games if he isn't concentrating on his studies.
"(My son) has been catching up on his (school) work, and he's been doing a lot better behavior-wise," Askari's mother, Linda Steward, said. "I'm thankful Floyd is there, I'll put it that way."
The holidays are about family and friends, giving children the opportunity to learn from older loved ones. Unfortunately, not every child has a large family from which to garner wisdom and experience. The Big Brothers, Big Sisters program faces this issue by providing surrogate big brothers and sisters who can give children a guiding hand and shoulder to lean on in good and bad times.
That's why Linda Steward, a single mother and child care provider, has entered each of her four children into the Missouri Valley Big Brothers, Big Sisters program, which works with the Jefferson City Area YMCA. The program pairs young adults with children based on their needs and interests.
It has worked out well for the family. Linda Steward's eldest son is in the U.S. Air Force; her eldest daughter is in college; her 14-year-old daughter has a lifelong friend; and her youngest son, Askari, has someone to keep him focused on education.
Steward recommends everyone she can to the program, especially families without father figures.
"It helps me to know that there is someone who my kids have a strong relationship and a bond with," she said. "I see them getting older, and I see them graduating out of school, and there is somebody there who they can still have trust in and can talk to."
Steward said having a strong role model can be the difference between a young person staying in school or dropping into life on the streets.
Her son Antonio, 21, learned from his big brother, Tom Snodgrass, the value of staying on the straight and narrow while respecting authority figures.
Big sister Roslyn Parker imparted the value of higher education onto 20-year-old Wendy Steward, whom Parker continues to mentor from her Virginia home long after their time in the program.
Mica Steward, 14, became so close with her big sister, Latonja Gorman, that she joined Gorman's church choir.
Askari Steward gets to go with his big brother to Lincoln University basketball games, where he takes a special interest in the band. The snare player in training would like to join the Blue Tiger band and basketball team one day so he can emulate NBA star Steph Curry.
Steward's children are exemplary of what can be achieved through Big Brothers, Big Sisters. Community Coordinator Mike Bloemke said studies have shown children participating in the program are more likely to stay in school and less likely to get in trouble.
According to the program, participants are 46 percent less likely to use drugs, 27 percent less likely to consume alcohol, 52 percent less likely to skip school and 30 percent less likely to be violent. The littles are more likely to trust parents and guardians, less likely to lie to their parents and probably will perform better in school.
"Nationwide, it's been shown that the kids in our program are far less likely to be involved with the juvenile justice system, which generally means that they are less likely to be involved in the adult criminal system," Bloemke said.
Along the way, children get the chance to enjoy themselves as well.
"It's fun," Askari Steward said. "(Earl) helps me in school, and he's like my (real) brother."