Being Big Sister Brings Joy to Two Lives

Barb Johnston of Romeoville thought she'd like to bring a little joy into a child's life, so she signed up with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Will and Grundy Counties.

Turns out, the joy keeps getting returned.

"Spending time with Shannel is not a matter of 'finding the time,' it's 'wanting the time' to spend with her," said the busy single grandmother, who works hard hiring drivers for National Freight Industries and then devotes another 15 to 20 hours a week to her own company, Ameri-Clean Services.

"I thought a lot about becoming a Big Sister awhile ago and I didn't think I had the time. Then I decided just to do it," Barb said.

Shannel's eyes shine as they talk about what she and Barb do together. "She helps me to do more things," said Shannel, a seventh-grader at Fairmont School.

The two love to go to JackHammer baseball games. "I caught a ball once," Shannel said. They also enjoy crafts, hiking, shopping, eating out, even cleaning up the garden.

"She was the one who got me back on roller skates, I hadn't been on them since the eighth grade," said Barb.

The two were introduced last January and soon discovered they share many of the same interests, like sports, math and science. Both are also left-handed.

Big Brothers does "a really good job of matching interests," Barb said.

One thing they share is the willingness to try new adventures. "We both like to try new things," Barb said.

Barb recalls the day they played Laser Tag at Haunted Trails, one of their favorite haunts. She soon discovered Shannel had to be on her team or she could never win.

"Remember when we went through the corn maze at Dollinger's Farm?" Barb asked. "We had to go through the side to get out."

"We would've made it through," Shannel said confidently.