When Joe Donaldson first met Et Winzer, he was just six years old and unsure of what to expect from the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. His grandmother had enrolled him in the program, hoping to provide him with a positive influence and trusted adult in his life.
Et had recently moved to Tampa from the Washington, D.C. area when the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay team came to his office in the late 1990s to recruit volunteers.
He agreed to become a Big and initially planned to meet his Little at school during the lunch hour. Et was told his Little might be shy and distant. Instead, Joe walked into the room with a big smile.
That first meeting marked the beginning of a relationship that would shape both of their lives.
What started with school lunches, Oreo cookies, milk, and games of Connect Four soon grew into something much deeper. Et eventually transitioned from school-based visits to a traditional community-based match, picking Joe up almost every weekend. They explored new places, took road trips, attended activities, and simply spent time together.
For Joe, those experiences opened his eyes to possibilities he hadn’t known existed.
Growing up without his mother and father, Joe was raised by his grandmother, Agnes, who gave him a strong foundation of love, honesty, morals, and faith. But Et introduced Joe to another kind of possibility: seeing a man who looked like him living a life Joe hadn’t imagined for himself.
“He showed me what was possible,” Joe recalls.
Et taught Joe how to carry himself, how to communicate, how to take responsibility and, perhaps most importantly, how to believe in himself. One lesson in particular has stayed with Joe throughout his life.
As a child, Joe once tried to explain away trouble he had gotten into by blaming the people around him. Et challenged him to take accountability for the choices he made and the company he kept.
Joe didn’t like hearing it at first. But eventually, he realized Et was right. That lesson became a foundation for the man Joe would become.
Over the years, their relationship grew far beyond the traditional definition of a mentoring match. Joe became part of Et’s family and Et became part of Joe’s Village. Et attended Joe’s school and activities. Joe visited Et’s office during school breaks and even ushered at Et’s wedding.
In 2010, Joe and Et were recognized as Big and Little of the year. But their story didn’t end there. Although their official match eventually concluded, their relationship continued for more than 15 years and counting.
Et is proud of the husband, father, and person Joe has become and Joe considers Et much more than a Big Brother.
“He is like a father to me,” Joe says. “They say you can’t choose your father or mother. That’s okay, because God chose mine.”
For Et, the relationship is a reminder that giving back doesn’t always feel like a grand gesture. Sometimes, it is simply showing up consistently, sharing your experiences, and helping a young person see a world of possibilities.
Joe and Et’s story is proof that a mentoring relationship can evolve, grow, and last a lifetime. Their match may have started with a school visit in Tampa, but it became something neither of them could have predicted: a lifelong bond.
