I give much respect to all volunteers. Most volunteers have family, and work obligations, yet they still find the energy to give to a cause(s) that are dear to them.

We are blessed in Casper with many citizens that work hard to make our community a special place for all. The work you do is very much appreciated and the recognition is well deserved.

 

April is National Volunteer Month, and with that in mind, the Casper office of Big Brothers Big Sisters recently honored their volunteers at an appreciation dinner. Big Brothers and Sisters (Bigs) and their Little Brothers and Sisters (Little) were treated to an evening of fine food and entertainment by local magician Lazarus Benson. All volunteers were honored for their dedication to the one-to-one mentoring program. A special honor went to a local Big Sister for not only being named Natrona County’s Big Sister of the Year, but also the State Big Sister of the Year for 2014. Nurieh Glasgow of Casper has been selected as this year’s Wyoming Big Sister of the Year.  She will go on to compete for the 2014 National Big Sister of the Year at the National Convention of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America in June in Chicago.

Each year the national organization of Big Brothers Big Sisters selects a national winner for Big Brother of the Year and Big Sister of the Year.  Nominees for these distinguished awards are chosen initially by their local affiliate from which one Big Brother and one Big Sister are selected to represent each state.  The national winners are then selected from the state nominees, and the national winners are announced at the annual conference of Big Brother Big Sisters.

Nurieh Glasgow was selected to represent the state of Wyoming because of her dedication not only to the Big Brothers Big Sisters program, but also to her Little Sister as well.  Nurieh and her Little, Talytha Howle, have been matched since June of 1993. Nurieh was a major part of her Little’s childhood, pre-teen and teen years. The mentorship that has been formed is now a lifetime friendship.

Growing up, Nurieh herself was once a Little.  She said she went through three Big Sisters during her time as a Little, and she always wanted to give back to another child what she had valued so much herself.  Volunteers and children in the program are matched according to their likes and dislikes, interests, and general personality traits.  It wasn’t long before Nurieh had the perfect match.  In the beginning she and her Little did the usual activities together that most Bigs and Littles do.  However, as time went on, they began to grow closer, and it wasn’t long before they were, as Nurieh stated, just part of each other’s lives.  Nurieh was there for her Little during some very difficult times because she had experienced some of those same problems herself, and she understood how her Little felt.  Because of Nurieh’s example and friendship, her Little is now considering college as she nears the end of her high school years.  Her Little not only experienced a wonderful mentor and friend, but she gained a true Big Sister.

 

More From KOWB 1290