Every Thursday about 11:30 a.m. at Calvin Donaldson Elementary School, Frances Archer, 64, extends her hand to second-grader Qunyshia Johnson.
At first Qunyshia hesitates to accept the offer of friendship, but then something changes.
“She always starts with a little shy face. I don’t know why,” Archer said. “She always kind of looks at me shyly and pulls back just a little, and then she brightens up.”
Hand-in-hand, talking about whatever Qunyshia wishes, they walk to get lunch and begin their time as Reading Buddies, a Big Brothers Big Sisters program. Qunyshia takes Archer from place to place in the school as they pass the time reading, playing or just talking.
“She chooses different places,” Archer said. “Sometimes she likes to go into the lab and look at some of the puzzles and things in there. Sometimes she likes to go into the library and read a book.”