Updated 12/10/2012 11:18 AM
Big Brothers Big Sisters celebrates the holidays
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Despite their differences, Cristian Palacios and Enrique Gomez have formed a bond.
"He's always there to help me, he's always there to support me doing stuff," Cristian Palacios said.
The pair's Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas relationship began three years ago, but 15-year-old Palacios no longer sees it as a program. He says Gomez is part of his family.
"He wasn't doing it because it was a program, he was doing it because he actually cared
about me. So I guess that's what made me think about it more as a home, than a program," Palacios said.
Gomez feels the same way about Palacios, since he doesn't have kids.
"I can still connect to kids in some way and felt like I had something to offer somebody, in that kind of mentorship role," Gomez said.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas has been in the community since 1971. The program serves 1,500 mostly elementary and middle school kids.
"Enrique has helped me see the world differently, not just think directly what I want, but think outside out of the box," said Palacios.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas has almost 400 kids on the waiting list. If you would like to become a mentor, you can go to the web site, BigMentoring.org.