Jerry & Yong

For eight months, Yong and Jerry have met for lunch each week at Pottenger Elementary School in Springfield. Whether they play cards, play catch, or just hang out, it’s always a great way to break out of the daily routine.

Yong, an accountant from Longmeadow, became interested in the program after hearing a lot of good things about it from other Bigs. “I know other people who participate in the program and heard a lot of positive things about their experiences. I thought it would be a worthwhile activity.”

He hasn’t been disappointed. Yong appreciates the opportunity to get out into the community and meet someone like Jerry. Spending much of his day in the office makes it difficult to interact with children and just have fun with a game of Uno or playing catch. In his free time, Yong also plays on a baseball team, just like his Little Brother!

For Little Brother Jerry, a 4th grader, baseball is also a passion. He plays with the Springfield Tigers, so lots of his time is spent on practicing for his next grand slam. He hopes to turn that into a career. “I want to be a baseball player for the Yankees. Arod is my favorite player. I started playing when I was four years old.”

“I have two older half brothers, but I don’t get to spend much time with them. My [biological] brothers are six and four years old, so I don’t get to do very much with them. I wanted someone to hang out with.”

The pair have a friendly competition going, not surprising for two baseball fanatics. About Yong, Jerry says, “He’s very cool. I like beating him at Uno. It’s nice to have someone to hang out with every week.”