By Viraj Gandhi (board member)
About 8 years ago, I became a Big Brother to a 7-year-old named Steve — or as he liked to be called, Steve O. Steve’s parents were in the middle of getting a divorce and he had 4 older siblings. It seemed like they all competed, with little luck, for attention from their parents.
Steve O and I developed an awesome bond over the 2 years that I was his “big.” But I had started to notice that when we talked about school he was vague and sometimes couldn’t tell me what he was learning or what he was doing for homework.
It wasn’t until Steve was suspended for a few days that I came to know of his true struggles at school, and unfortunately that turned out to be too late.
Just a couple months shy of our 2-year matching anniversary, I was told that Steve’s parents sent him back to Ecuador as he was likely going to have to repeat the 3rd grade.
I was blind-sided. I was devastated. I wish I could have done more. Had I known about FLOC then, I could have possibly changed the trajectory of Steve’s life.
FLOC provides the support and guidance to kids like Steve O and helps them unlock their full potential, something that every child needs and deserves.
I think of Steve often as I am a father of two young children. I believe that proper support and guidance are critical to a child’s success in life, and I am happy to be a part of an organization whose focus is providing just that.
If you’re reading this blog, and share my beliefs about the importance of supporting children in our community, then I encourage you to consider attending a FLOC event or donating to this wonderful organization.
