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When pairing's right, it's sweet harmony

Big Brothers, Big Sisters is looking for at least 27 "bigs" for 27 "littles," some of whom have waited almost a year.

By TOM MARSHALL
Published June 19, 2006

But 13-year-old Grant Dionne and 36-year-old Corey Rubin have known each other for just a year. It's been a year of football and hockey games - they love the Mets, but will never agree on the Rangers vs. the Islanders - and music and silly moments.

They were paired by Big Brothers Big Sisters, the national organization that matches willing adults with youngsters hoping to fill a gap in their lives.

On this Father's Day, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hernando County is looking for at least 27 "bigs" to partner up with 27 "littles." Some of those "littles" have been on the waiting list more than 200 days in hopes of finding an adult to look up to, said match manager Chris Caravetto.

Grant had almost run out of time - youngsters must find a match by the age of 13 - when Rubin showed up. Their first outing was perfectly mundane.

"We went to Chick-fil-A with those little cards..." Grant began.

"Yeah, that was hilarious," Rubin added.

"... and then we went to the bowling alley."

"It was raining," said one.

"It was pouring," said the other.

What about those little cards?

"They're like little cards - they give us a discount or something," Grant explained.

"And then everywhere we went, they didn't take them anywhere," Rubin said.

It was a great night.

Since then, at Grant's insistence, they've been working on the guitar.

Rubin is a professional musician and music teacher, and had always wanted to volunteer with Big Brothers Big Sisters after he and his wife decided against children of their own. Grant is forming W a garage band, in the Nirvana tradition - "Music we grew up with," said Glenn, his 15-year-old brother - and Rubin finds himself managing the band by default.

Grant said his real father had mental health problems and served time in jail.

"My mom and dad got divorced the day before Valentine's Day a couple of years ago," he said. "My mom was waiting to get divorced from him; she wanted to, and we weren't ready. But then one day he hit me in the head with a baseball bat, so I was like, yeah, I'm ready."

Grant isn't sure where his father is these days, and likes things the way they are.

"When my dad was around, it was like he really wasn't, because he would lay here on the couch all day," he said. "And Corey is like a dad to me."

Two previous matches Grant's mother, Mary-Jo, tried to arrange didn't work out. It's hard to find the right chemistry, Rubin said.

"At times when we first started hanging out, you don't know where the boundaries are; you don't know what you can say or feel, you know what I mean?" he said. "Once you start to share a little more, it becomes a lot easier."

The organization has even started accepting "big couples" as a way to allow married couples to volunteer together, Caravetto said. "Bigs" must submit to criminal background checks and agree to spend the equivalent of an hour a week with their "little."

It's more than worth the effort, Grant said.

"People who don't have a dad or a father, if they need someone they can really bond with or get along with, it's almost like a father," he said.

Tom Marshall can be reached at tmarshall@sptimes.com or (352) 848-1431.

[Last modified June 19, 2006, 08:29:11]