By Gwen Gurke
Milford Chronicle
Wednesdays are special for Tyjhir – That's the day that the third-grader gets a visit [at his elementary school] from Mr. Don, his Big Brother.
Wednesdays are also special for Harrington resident Don Lanspery.
He arrives at Tyjhir's school to spend about an hour of one-on-one time, talking sports, guy stuff, and maybe even some academics.
The retiree from Prince George's County carries a black canvas bag that contains the morning sports section, the latest Sports Illustrated magazine, and even a snack.
Mr. Don, as Tyjhir calls his Big Brother, chats about a recent visit with his grandchildren as he pulls the newspaper out of the tote.
The two chat about the Super Bowl.
Tyjhir says he likes talking with Mr. Don, and likewise Mr. Don enjoys Tyjhir's company.
Mr. Lanspery, a retired social services administrator, and his wife Laura, retired to Harrington in May. He decided to volunteer as a Big Brother and was matched with Tyjhir.
Mr. Lanspery said he went through an extensive interview process to become active in the school-based Big Brothers and Big Sisters program.
Nancy Raihall, case manager, said Big Brothers Big Sisters offers other volunteer options as well.
Since 2008, the number of Bigs and Littles matched in Sussex County has tripled, Ms. Raihall said.
Bigs share their time and talents with their Littles in local schools, after-school programs, and throughout the community. In the traditional Big Brothers Big Sisters Program, the adult will be matched with a child between the ages of 6-17, usually from a singe-parent family.
The volunteer and the Little will get together two to four times a month after school or on the weekends to share the kinds of activities people already like to do, such as: enjoying a pizza, shooting hoops, baking cookies, walking your dog, going to the park or the library.
Other programs are Mentoring Children of Promise for children ages 5-15 and have an incarcerated mother or father.
They may be living with a single parent or grandparent; or they may be in foster care. Just like the Community-Based program, mentors visit their Little two to four times a month after school or on the weekends.
Married couples or families can also be matched with a child.
Because the Lansprey have young grandchildren, Mr. Lanspery committed to the school-based program.
“He likes being with people,” said Mrs. Lanspery.
In fact, her husband was a Big Brother while in college at the University of Baltimore in the late 1960s.
After moving to Delaware, the couple discovered Sussex County RSVP, described by Mrs. Lanspery as “a clearing house for volunteers.”
Sussex County RSVP, based in Georgetown, recruits adults at least 55 years old to volunteer. The state-sponsored agency matches volunteers with non-profit and public agencies.
“There’s a breadth of choices,” said Mrs. Lanspery, who volunteered at the Food Bank of Delaware until she injured her back.
“There’s a lot of people with time who have the ability to share with others. We were looking for interaction with children.”
The couple also volunteers with Read Aloud at Morris Early Childhood Center.
“It’s really neat,” said Mr. Lansprey, who is able to read to youngsters in both English and Spanish.
He especially enjoys his time with Tyjhir.
“He appreciates a male figure. He is so sports-inclined, and he talks about going into the NFL, but I want to expand his horizons,” Mr. Lanspery said.
He uses Tyjhir’s interest in professional sports as a stepping stone to a lesson in geography, taking maps to help learn the location of states where the teams are based.
“All kids should learn geography. We’ve identified the states with NFL teams. It’s a great learning opportunity,” said Mr. Lanspery.
“The sports thing was an instant connection.”
Having a Big Brother also provides Tyjhir with another learning opportunity: disability awareness.
Mr. Lanspery, a former state ping pong champion, lost his fingers, thumbs and toes as the result of a rare illness in 1999 and afterwards became an advocate for disability awareness in Maryland.
He continues that mission in local schools, and Tyjhir assists him with his presentation and demonstration of adaptive equipment.
“It’s an opportunity to boost Tyjhir’s self-esteem in a good way,” he said.
“I do a dog-and-pony show with all the gadgets. The kids are star-struck. They ask ‘How do you drink from a cup?’ They want to see how I do all these things. Tyjhir gets to help.”
“Most of my life, I’ve worked with adults. It’s very satisfying to work with a child and learn new things,” Mr. Lanspery said.
“One of my goals is to expose him to other things, not just football. He’s going to be the best student in geography. He’s receptive to new things as I expose him to broader horizons.
For more information about Big Brothers Big Sisters, go to www.bbbsde.org or give us a call at 302-856-2918.
For more information about Sussex County RSVP, call 302-856-5815.
Originally printed Feb. 16, 2011 by The Milford Chronicle, Vol. 155, No. 7.
Our thanks go to The Milford Chronicle. Reprinted by permission.