When Joe’s wife left and he was confronted with raising his daughter alone, he knew she would need a strong female role model.
“I knew it would be a struggle to raise a daughter alone, I just didn’t realize how hard it would be,” Joe says.
“I applied for a Big Sister for Alicia hoping she would gain a friend, I did not realize she would gain so much more. Big Sister Maggie is consistently there for her,” the St. Stephen man says.
“She shows up for Alicia after a hard day, they paint each others’ nails and bake together. She helps Alicia get ready for dance pictures – because my hair skills still aren’t great! She listens and never judges us or our situation, and she’s become part of our family.”
This kind of enriching experience with Charlotte County Big Brothers Big Sisters is possible because of the generous support of United Way donors. Joe is eternally grateful.
“Maggie encourages Alicia to reach for the stars and then some,” he says. “I couldn’t be more thankful to Big Brothers Big Sisters and to Big Sister Maggie for changing my daughter’s life.”