PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — Longtime WAVY-TV viewers may recall our “Wednesday’s Child” features spotlighting children in challenging family situations. Often, the mother in the single-parent family would reach out to mentoring organizations in an effort to find a positive male role model for her son.
Well, today, WAVY News 10’s Don Roberts takes you back to February of 2000, when we met two boys from the Williamsburg area.
Don hung out with 8-year-old Darian in the library of his school when they first met. And of all the things they talked about, Darian’s eyes lit up when the subject turned to professional wrestling. The duo found some video of a recent show, and Darian cheered when the “good guy” knocked two bad guys to the floor.
“He can be behind my back and protect me from other things,” Darian said.
“Like, what?” Don asked.
“Like, people messin’ with me,” he said.
“How do people mess with you?” Don asked.
“They pick on me, and then, sometimes, I get in a fight,” he said.
That story may have been one of the most important reasons Darian needed a mentor: guidance.
Darian and Don Roberts lost contact over the past 21 years. Darian would be 29 today. So, how’s he doing? And, did he connect with a mentor with the Williamsburg Big Brothers Big Sisters program?
10 On Your Side would like to know.
A week later, WAVY featured another little boy, Joshua. he was about the same age as Darian and had the same need. He, too, had no positive male role model in his home.
“You, you get down on the floor…” he said, demonstrating.
Joshua wanted to share a fire safety lesson he had just learned after a firefighter visited his class.
“If it’s hot, then don’t go out that door,” he added.
It sounded like Joshua was sold on fire prevention. But then he started talking about how to be on the lookout for someone in medical distress.
“If you are alone and have, uh, uh, diarrhea…” said Joshua.
As Joshua read to Don from a pretty colorful fire prevention book for the Wednesday’s Child segment, Don looked over his shoulder to help him pronounce some 10-dollar, multi-syllable words that posed a challenge. He enjoyed the story, but, also wished he had a regular adult friend to hang with during homework and playtimes.
Don hasn’t heard from him since 2000. Did he get a mentor through Big Brothers Big Sisters? How is he doing today?
If you know, contact Don Roberts at WAVY TV.
Meantime, there are hundreds of children spread throughout Hampton Roads in single-parent homes, and in need of a big friend for fun and guidance.
And, yes, you can volunteer — safely — during the pandemic. Big Brothers Big Sisters (Peninsula and Military) and Team Up Mentoring, with the Up Center in Portsmouth-Norfolk, would love to hear from you and answer any questions about becoming a mentor.
