Matheus Moreira with Big Brother mentor Richard D’Isidoro

At seven-years-old, Matheus Moreira, of Somerville, was matched with his mentor, with whom he refers to as his Big Brother, Richard D’Isidoro, of Hingham, through Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Massachusetts (BBBSEM), the state’s leading one-to-one youth mentoring program.

Their connection was magic, literally, as D’Isidoro won his mentee, or Little Brother, over by showing him a magic trick during the first of many walks together. Eleven years later, the duo’s most recent walk was one of the most impactful in the now 18-year-old’s life as they toured UMass Amherst’s campus where the soon to be graduate from Prospect Hill Academy Charter School was accepted into the Computer Science program.

For many BBBSEM mentoring matches, their relationships continue even after mentees graduate from high school and age out of their community-, site- or campus-based programs. Moreira and D’Isidoro plan to maintain their connection through the agency’s post-secondary success program in which caring adult mentors stay with their mentees through young adulthood helping to provide them with resources and opportunities to pursue post-secondary pathways of their choosing to actualize their future goals.

“Without Richard, I don’t believe I would have made it as far as I have,” says Moreira. “He has pushed me to be the best, he has listened whenever I needed to get something off my chest, and he has gone out with me whenever I was going through a tough period in my life. There were times when I had issues I couldn’t discuss with my mother or peers, and Richard was there to hear me out and talk through things with me. He has become more than just a mentor to me, he has become family.”

As Moreira’s high school graduation approaches, please consider covering a story on his mentoring experience and the value of mentors in young people’s lives. He can tell you more about his relationship with his Big Brother and how having a caring adult from outside of his home has helped him to realize his full potential and why more volunteers, like D’Isidoro, are needed to step up for Somerville’s youth.

D’Isidoro was in his 30’s and living alone when he first enrolled as a volunteer for BBBSEM’s signature community-based program in which adult mentors are paired with youth, plan their own outings, and meet for two to three hours, a couple times a month. By day the risk management professional worked at financial institutions. At night, he was tutoring Boston-based elementary school students and facilitating mock interviews for young people looking to enter the workforce. He was excited to devote the time and attention needed to make an even bigger impact on one child’s life.

“It is crazy to think Matheus was 7 years old when we first met,” says D’Isidoro, 46, of Hingham, now a father to two of his own children, ages one and 5. “During one of our first outings together, I wanted to take him to the Museum of Fine Arts because I could go for free. Matheus pushed back. We argued on Summer Street in downtown Boston, but I turned the tide with sharing how they have mummies there. Real mummies. Since then, I have seen so much growth in him. Matheus’s story is still being written and I’ll continue to watch.”

The duo has since explored more of the city, tried new foods, seen countless movies and continued their walks. They’ve worked on Moreira’s math homework, completed college applications, and Matheus even attended D’Isidoro’s wedding.

“Matheus and Richard’s 11-year friendship is a testament to the incredible work of our volunteers and staff members who keep kids learning, engaged and having fun,” says Mark O’Donnell, President & CEO of BBBSEM. “We are so proud of Matheus for all he has accomplished and are excited to see how his next chapter unfolds as we will continue to see them at future agency events. We need more caring adults, like Richard, to step up for children, like Matheus, to become mentors to ensure they reach their fullest potential.”

In 2024, BBBSEM celebrates 75 years of service. Since its inception, the organization has supported more than 25,000 youth. For more information, to become a volunteer or to make a donation to support the nonprofit’s year-round one-to-one mentoring programs, your readers can visit: www.emassbigs.org.