Kevin Logan has been a Big Brother for 12 years, starting with Daniel when he was in the third grade.
Why did you become a Big?
Kevin Logan: I had extra time and empty-nest syndrome and wanted to give back. We just made a connection, and basically became his best friend. We are now lifelong friends.
Where do you work? Did you become interested through a company function?
Kevin Logan: I’m a factory worker, production scheduler at Fort Wayne Metals. They were a big push as a partner with the Lunch Buddy program in Waynedale. There were 30 or 40 of us who did the Lunch Buddy Program.
Did you have any hesitation about becoming a Big?
Kevin Logan: I didn’t know what to expect and what the Little was going to expect from it, either. We just had some great conversation and we connected. We connected through history, as a matter of fact. Daniel had severe ADHD way back then and he had a hard time focusing on one thing at a time for more than 20 minutes. But when it came to history, we were able to keep focus for half an hour. He was kind of like the Rainman with all politics and presidents and government.
How long did it take you to feel comfortable with Daniel?
Kevin Logan: Probably a half a dozen times meeting. That was probably one of the best things, Daniel is a very outgoing and personable kid. He wasn’t shy at all, he was just reaching out for a friend, and that’s really what I needed as well. It was a good fit for both of us, both of us learned a lot from each other and we’re still learning. I looked forward to seeing him every week.
So you knew pretty quickly you had done the right thing?
Kevin Logan: Absolutely. Mainly because he was just as comfortable talking to me as I was to him. I’m not the most extroverted guy myself, but I was fully comfortable talking to Daniel.
What’s the best thing about being a Big Brother?
Kevin Logan: I know that I’m helping him do things that his family is not involved with. We did a lot of things. His parents protect him and they wouldn’t take him on a roller coaster because he doesn’t know how dangerous or how safe it is, and he can’t distinguish between that. We took some risks and I guided him and he had a ball. That opened his eyes to a lot of things he was being sheltered from, and I had their blessing. It was truly an amazing thing with this kid.
It sounds like you got as much positive out of this as he did, right?
Kevin Logan: Absolutely. It’s like being a dad in sense of accomplishment you get from seeing him graduate and get a job, and being proud of what they are doing and assisting them in making the right choices.
How often do you talk to him today?
Kevin Logan: We text about once a week.
What are some of the fun things you have done with Daniel?
Kevin Logan: We went on the toboggan run at Pokagon. He’s always been a city kid so we’ve gone camping. I’m kind of blessed that I live a ways from the city where there’s deer and turkeys and coyotes, and opening his eyes to that kind of thing, nature, was really cool. One of the things that we’ll do is try different restaurants. He’ll eat about anything. We did the fun stuff with the movies and all that, but with Covid we had to reevaluate where we tried to go. We had a great match and a great time. He had a connection with my two oldest grandkids. He became a fun part of the family.
How often do you talk to your friends about the possibility of becoming a Big?
Kevin Logan: At work, quite often. There are several of them. Big Brothers Big Sisters did a video on Daniel and I a few years ago and they showed it at a plant meeting so they saw the bond that we had and there’s been a few who joined the Lunch Buddy program and became matches.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Indiana has a waiting list of more than 400 children hoping to meet their Big Brother, Big Sister or Big Couple. More than 300 of those are boys, so we’re introducing “Manly Mondays” to ask men throughout the area why they enjoy being a Big Brother. To volunteer for the program or get more information, call 260-456-1600 or go to our website to fill out a volunteer form https://bbbsa.force.com/bbbsforms/s/?type=big
To see more stories of our Matches, head over to our YouTube Page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFtgkq3e_XeZqYdBqcMAJRw