By Ed Simmons, Jr.
cpreporter@lcs.net
"Amanda's coming!"
These are some of 10-year-old Kenyanna Welch's favorite words to hear. It's what her father and stepmother, Kenneth and Patricia Welch, tell her when her Big Sister is on the way to their Milford home. It's sure to bring a big pretty smile to Kenyanna's face. Big Sister Amanda Reid, a 26-year-old Fredericksburg lawyer who lives in Lake Land'or, has been Kenyanna's mentor for several months now. She is the first Caroline volunteer since Linda Gray recently became the county's coordinator of Rappahannock Big Brothers Big Sisters, a position made possible through county funding recommended by the Youth Task Force chaired by Supervisor Maxie Rozell.
Amanda, who grew up in Seattle and went to Catholic school, was glad to step forward and help. "It's good to spend time being a role model. It's more fun than work!" she says, flashing her own high-voltage smile. "I have a lot of fun doing the things we do. It's a nice break from regular life." Mostly they go to Amanda's Lake Land'or home where they talk, cook and visit with kitties Seymour and Oliver and parakeets Fiona and Clarence. They go bowling too at Liberty Lanes in Fredericksburg.
With Amanda "I have somebody to talk to," says Kenyanna, a 5th-grader at Bowling Green Elementary with big hazel eyes. "I get out of the house and do stuff." Meanwhile her folks are pleased she's interacting with an excellent role model. Kenyanna's father is hoping she'll be inspired to be a lawyer too. But for right now, Kenyanna's happy to think about being a hairstylist or makeup artist. One thing though is looking certain about Kenyanna Welch's future. She wants to be a Big Sister just like Amanda Reid and change a life too.
You can make a big difference in the life of a Caroline kid too! Call Rappahannock Big Brothers Big Sisters at 540-371-7444 and ask for Linda Gray.