Federal Way has 31 children on the waiting list, including 24 boys

It can be tough at times for a 12-year-old boy to live in a house full of women.

Girls, says Anthony Johnston, are boring sometimes.

Johnston’s father isn’t around much. The pair meet once a month at a McDonald’s for about 15 minutes. Johnston doesn’t ever spend the night with his father, not because he’s not allowed, but because he’s uncomfortable with the man who is practically a stranger.

“It’s awkward staying the night at his house if I haven’t been around him for awhile,” Johnston said.

“He didn’t really have a male role model, mentor,” said Johnston’s mom, Deon Watts.

Three months ago, Johnston finally got his male role model — 42-year-old Don Muridan, of Tacoma. The pair were matched up by the Big Brothers and Big Sisters organization.

Big Brothers and Big Sisters matches children ages seven through 18 with adults in the community who serve as role models and mentors. Any child who needs a caring adult in their lives is eligible, said Tina Podlodowski, executive director of the Puget Sound area branch.

Many of the children involved in the program come from non-traditional families such as single-parent homes, foster homes or the homes of grandparents or other relatives. Most of the children live below the poverty line.

Although many children in the program come from backgrounds where they are more likely to get in trouble with the law, 97 percent of participants avoid contact with the juvenile justice system compared with their peers, Podlodowski said.

Children meet with their big brothers or sisters anywhere from once a week to twice a month for fun activities such as flag football or chatting over a meal. Big Brothers and Big Sisters organizes activities and provides tickets to sporting events, plays, zoos, aquariums and concerts. Pairs are interviewed and matched together based on their interests.

Typically the wait for a child to be matched with an adult is 30 days but in Federal Way, some children are waiting much longer.

Johnston waited three years to be matched with a big brother.

“The toughest place for us to find, particularly men, to volunteer is South King County,” Podlodowski said.

There are 31 Federal Way children currently on the Big Brothers and Big Sisters waiting list. Twenty-four of those children are boys.

“Really, in the Federal Way area, we’re looking for 24 good men to come on board,” Podlodowski said.

Muridan said he was inspired to become a Big Brother after having his own Big Brother as a child.

“It’s just one of those things where it’s my way of giving back, especially to younger kids who may not have a male role model,” he said.

In order to serve as a role model, Muridan said he just acts like himself. He compares his and Johnston’s relationship to what an uncle and a nephew might share.

“Definitely he’s a minor and I’m an adult but it’s like a really fun friendship. We go out and have activities. We laugh. We joke around,” he said.

The Big Brothers and Big Sisters MoveBig program is a great fit for Muridan, he said, because everything is already completely organized.

“All you have to do is show up to these events and everything is already planned out for you,” he said. “It’s only two days out of the month and it really, really is a lot of fun.”

So far, Muridan and Johnston have played flag football with Seahawks linebacker Lofa Tatupu, worked out at a gym and went rock-climbing at the Federal Way Community Center.

Volunteers to be Big Brothers or Big Sisters must be at least 18-years-old and able to pass a background check. For more information, visit www.bbbs.org/pugetsound.

Contact Margo Hoffman: mhoffman@fedwaymirror.com or (253) 925-5565.