Big Buddy Volunteer Provides Kids with Positive Role Models

Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Chris Lancaster. Read her story, and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.

Chris Lancaster is a mom. She has three kids of her own, all grown, and one with special needs whom she originally fostered then subsequently adopted. At times, she has had custody of her four grandnieces. Like most single moms, she manages to create extra hours in a day and has mastered multitasking and schedule coordination. After all, there aren’t many people who could parent eight kids while holding down a full-time job. And driving Uber to make ends meet. And singing with a rock band. Chris does all of that on top of volunteering as the lead case manager at Cape Fear Volunteer Center’s Big Buddy program.

Initially, Chris connected with Big Buddy in 2014 after struggling to find work. Vocational  rehabilitation, a federal program designed to help adults who have hit a rough patch—like illness or a life situation—and barriers to employment, connected her with Cape Fear’s founder and CEO, Annie Anthony, via an “internship”.

Within six months of helping with Big Buddy, a one-to-one mentoring program for at-risk youth, she was hired to run it full time. A year later, she got a job as a senior membership director at Girl Scouts when the organization could no longer afford to operate and employ her. She continues to volunteer.

“I hope everybody has a Chris in their life,” Annie says. “She is worth her weight in gold.”

Annie likens her to Mary Poppins, citing her ability to somehow always be able to pull exactly what is needed from her bag or car. Chris’ compassion and dedication to listening makes her an asset.

Largely, her role is general support for those training big buddies and pairing them kids. Around 350 “little buddies” are in the program at any given time with 250 of them waiting for a mentor.

“We don’t match them up based on time of waiting. It’s based on who’s going to make the best match,” Annie explains.

Good volunteers come with all different backgrounds and experiences.

“Some of my best big buddies struggled when they were young, so they know that struggle, and they know how to relate to a kid that’s struggling,” she expounds.

Every kid needs something different, and Chris spends one-on-one time with those more difficult to place in order to assess that. But every day is different.

“I run events for the kids. I make sure that we’re connected in the community. I get local businesses and agencies to donate tickets to the museum or Battle House passes for kids to go play laser tag, things that give the big buddies and little buddies opportunities to bond,” she says.

One beloved event Chris created is a group party for the kids who have birthdays each month, complete with cupcakes. It’s something little buddies might not experience otherwise.

“Our town is wonderful if you’re a grown up and you have money or if you come here for vacation,” Annie explains. “But if you’re a little kid who is not a have, if you’re a have not, it’s a tough place.

Raised in a family that struggled financially, Chris often shares her story of overcoming associated challenges. It wasn’t until she was an employed adult that she went back to college, when she could pay for it herself.

At Christmas, she collects donations and runs an angel tree for 200 to 250 kids. And she assists with fundraising efforts. Annie describes Chris’ memory for details as unparalleled. She’ll bring umbrellas to events that rained the previous year or an extra table where people went without.

Chris also follows up on any issues. If a little buddy’s family is being evicted and needs resources or if they’re heading to truancy court because their kids are missing school, Chris shows up. In the case of the latter, she’ll take time off work to go to court and advocate on the kids’ behalf and emotionally support their mom. Recently, Chris even took on a temporary big buddy role to a 10-year-old girl.

“There have been times as a single parent where I’ve struggled financially, emotionally and mentally, where I just needed a little bit of help or some encouraging words,” she recalls.

When kids miss the bus, and their parents can’t drive them to school, Chris will. Sometimes, they just need a hug. She offers no judgement and only asks what they need to succeed.

“She wants to give them all that she has and more,” Annie says proudly.

Helping others has always been a regular practice for Chris. She became a Girl Scout at age seven and her mom, the troop leader, often led volunteer initiatives.

“My mom worked in a nursing home and was always taking us to visit, sing or sit and play games with residents while waiting for her to get off work. We were always around people that needed help,” she reminisces.

Passing down the tradition, Chris has always taken her kids volunteering. Even now, each Christmas Eve, they help run a meal delivery and then drive holiday meals to those in need.

“It doesn’t take time away from my kids to give to others,” she insists. “We do it as a family.”

Chris hopes community service remains a part of their lives. Judging by their chosen careers, she hardly needs to hope. Her son is a firefighter. One daughter is a special education teacher and the other, a social worker.

“It’s been ingrained in them the same way it was ingrained in me growing up. This is what I’m leaving to my children,” she muses.

Chris is often surprised when people say they’re too busy to volunteer, because she finds great satisfaction and motivation in getting involved. Simply put, it makes her happy.

“You find time for the things you want to do and the things that are important to you. These kids are important to me,” she emphasizes.

Her work is changing lives and building community. It’s giving overwhelmed parents a lifeline. It’s giving kids small joys while preparing them for the future. And it’s giving other volunteers a chance to be needed. She’s making life easier. After all, she is a mom.

Do you want to make a difference in your community like Chris? Find local volunteer opportunities.