Originally published on March 26, 2006
They're
close as sisters: Brooklyn foster teen Chardae Salters (l.), 16,
with son, Jeremiah, and her supportive "big sister," mentor
Marisol Alvarado. And while there's no fairy godmother to magically convert a subway car into a horse-driven coach, there is a kind and supportive big sister in Salters' life - Marisol Alvarado. "We love to make each other laugh," said Alvarado, a coordinator at the Sunset Park Even Start Family Literacy Partnership. The two will be in the Grand Ballroom of the Waldorf-Astoria on April 24 to celebrate the 102nd anniversary of Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York City. They will tell more than 1,000 guests about the success of the group's Young Mothers Mentoring Program. Alvarado became Salter's big sister in the fall of 2004, two months before Salters gave birth to her son, Jeremiah. "I was only 14 when I found I was pregnant," Salters said. "I felt like I was disappointing myself and my friends. But I thought, 'God, I don't want to be another statistic.'" Salters didn't want having a baby to force her to give up dreams of college, career and a better life - dreams she was desperately holding on to. Salters has been in foster care since she was 4, and cannot remember exactly how many homes she has lived in. She figures it's upwards of 12. She does remember what it was like to move around so frequently. "It's so hard, and it's scary, " Salters said. "When you move in, you don't know for how long it will be." She remembers one home in particular with kids not unlike Cinderella's step-sisters: "The lady was very, very sweet, but she worked," Salters said, "and when she wasn't home, her kids were very mean." Before Jeremiah's birth 16 months ago, Salters said she had a mean streak, too. Fights were frequent. "But I've changed," the teen said. "I feel like I have to grow up to raise my son." And Alvarado has been a major part of Salters' support system. "When I'm sad, I call her," Salters said of Alvarado. "She gives me good advice. "And she doesn't let things bother her," Salters added. The Young Mothers Mentoring Program is nearly four years old, said coordinator Melissa Yurgel. So far, 81 teens who are either pregnant or have young children have been paired with female mentors. The big sisters meet their little sisters at least twice a month over a 12-month period. The two can then commit to another year together, as Salters and Alvardo have done. Alvarado, who grew up in California, said she first became a big sister while attending the University of California at Santa Barbara. She and Salters enjoy shopping, going to movies, the park and the beach. They like to eat out and take baby Jeremiah on excursions. And while it may take a few years for Salters to settle on a Prince Charming, she does have goals. She envisions college and law school. "And one day," she said, "I plan to become a big sister." |
