One man can't save the world but he can help save one boy's life...

The positive effects of Big Buddy seem to be boundless. If you are after a heart warming story the best place to go is the big buddy website and read about the experiences of the boys with their big buddies. If you are after more, a heart warming experience, consider becoming a big buddy, as lots of the big buddies can attest, it has as much impact on them as the little buddies.

Here is one of those very stories, in the words of 18-year-old Little Buddy Gary Paton: 

"I’ve been a little buddy for the last 7 years, some stranger [Big Buddy Shaun Walters] turned up in my life and made a bond that has never died, it has wavered from time to time but it has always been there. The bond between the little buddy and big buddy isn’t just a 1 year contract, it’s a life time contract we just don’t know it yet. The time that I have shared with Shaun has been amazing – he’s picked me up when I was down and also pushed me to be better than what I can be, at first I thought that I didn’t need him - I thought he was just gonna leave without saying good bye, I was a fool for thinking that, we take for granted our big buddies, they take the time out of their week just to spend a few hours with us, to them it may be a few hours but to us it means the world. 
I have done many amazing things with Shaun, I’ve climbed a few mountains, got stuck in sea, he even took me on my first fishing trip, he even took me to a bar where I was legally allowed in and shouted our first beer together, the things that Shaun has done for me are non refundable without Shaun in my life I would of turned out the same in every way but one, I wouldn’t be writing this story. Big buddy is a family for the broken, a shelter for the deprived and in a way a father to us all. And one day I hope to become a big buddy myself."

Thanks Gary – your story is inspiring and humbling.

G.J. Gardner Homes are supporting Big Buddy as they currently expand into more areas in New Zealand. To learn more about Big Buddy visit their website: www.bigbuddy.org.nz