Matt Marlon And The Angel He Is

I met this very interesting man in my kid's school. His name is Matt Marlon. He is someone you will actually like first off. He always wears a smile and always extends a helping hand. Though I never got the chance to sit down and talk with the man, I found him to be very interesting. Last Summer, our family was set to go to New York for a quick holiday and also to visit my mom and my sister who are based in Manhattan. My kid and I were sitting in the McCarran International Airport waiting for boarding when somebody caught my eye. It was Matt Marlon, sitting on one of the chairs in the lounge, reading a paperback. He might have felt that someone was staring at him, he lifted his head and caught me and my kid looking at him. He smiled and approached us. I asked where he was going, he told me he's on his way to Thailand for a holiday too and also to join an outreach program.

 

            I asked him about his kid and he gave me the puzzled look. I said, “The kid with you who also goes to my child's school?”. That's when I found out that the child he sometimes fetches from school is not his kid. Matt Marlon is part of a very noble organization called Big Brother Big Sister here in Las Vegas NV whose main purpose is to help children, guide them and mentor them. They match Big Sisters or Big Brothers with children who either have just one parent or no parent at all. Upon learning this, my heart bled for children who do not get to experience how it is to have a complete family but my heart also swelled because of admiration for people like Matthew who go out of their way just to help little children. I know and understand that it won't make you less of a person if you did not grow up with both a mom and a dad, I just feel for them because I know how great it feels to have loving parents and they do not get to.

            After that accidental meeting in the airport, I got to know Matt Marlon more. I found out that he is a very passionate man, passionate with his advocacies, he's also a very religious person and he is well travelled too. Aside from helping others, travel is one of his greatest passions. He has travelled the world and has reached even the most remote places in Asia and Africa. Matthew is someone who inspires me to do better everyday, as a mom and as a friend to others. I just wish that a lot of people get to know him like I do because by just knowing him, your life will change in the most pivotal way. A real gem, Las Vegas NV has.

How Matt Marlon Brought Me Back To Life

I am not a big fan of religion. I am also not a very spiritual person. Well not until I met Matt Marlon. I am not a very sociable person too, I seldom start a conversation with anybody. I wait for anyone to approach me and that is why I try not to need anything from anyone. But Matt Marlon changed my perspective, my life in general.

            Matt Marlon and I met in a Red Cross Outreach Program. You might ask what does a hermit and anti-social like me doing in an event of a Charitable Institution. Well I was forced, more like coerced to attend that event.  No I am just kidding. The company I work for is very active in helping socio-civic organizations and we often participate in their programs and projects. I was silently observing when Matt Marlon approached me, he started to ask me questions. I indulged because I was bored. I found out that Matthew is part of this organization called Big Brothers Big Sisters. I have heard of this organization before because our company donates to them. I was just amazed to actually meet someone who is a Big Brother. A Big Brother or a Big Sister is someone who works closely with a child who either comes from a single-parent household or those who do not have parents at all. They have programs and activities for children that would help for their positive growth. Matt Marlon mentors children, guides them and poses as someone who can be there for them at difficult times. Matthew is someone who is not just passionate about helping others especially children, Matthew breathes and lives by helping others who need him. It is his life.

            I am too old for mentoring, too old to be guided by a Big Brother but it was Matthew who helped me regain my faith and trust in God. Matthew is a Roman Catholic and who is very big on religion and spirituality, the very opposite of me. But I guess Matthew made me his project for he did not give up on me and he made me realize what a difference it would make to have someone you can actually trust and you actually believe in. He made me come to church with him with no sense of urgency to submit, he let me take my time until it was me who was asking him for cell group meetings. He made me see things in a very different light. He brought me back home.

Matt Marlon: Making A Difference

My family and I have been really blessed in many ways and to give thanks, we find ways to pay it forward. These days, it is not a secret that it can be a struggle to continue living like we used to due to various economic downturns but we have proven that nothing is impossible and there is a force that guides us always to the right path.

            My brothers and I are taught to share our blessings in anyway we could. We grew watching our parents help out neighbors, distant relatives and even strangers in every possible way. As a family, it has been our tradition to participate in socio-civic movements, we are consistently donating blood and dry goods to institutions such as the Red Cross and Salvation Army. And this is where we have heard of Matthew Marlon, or Matt Marlon to most people. We have actually met the man and we are just in awe of his passion for children and in helping others. It was a pleasure meeting a man like Matt Marlon. We learned that he has been a constant presence in outreach programs and rescue missions here in Las Vegas NV. For more than 13 years now, Matthew has also been with Big Brothers Big Sisters, partnering with different children who need his company, guidance and mentoring.

            Big Brother Big Sister is this organization that aims to reach out to children who need the presence and guidance of either a Big Sister or a Big Brother. This is actually a very nice concept, reaching out to children of single parents or those who do not have parents at all. Matt Marlon struck me as someone who is very goal oriented but very lenient and accommodating at the same time. In one of the events we attended for Red Cross, I saw him again with his current Little (I guess that is what they call the children under their programs who are matched with either a Big Sister or a Big Brother). I really admire the man for his dedication and passion not only for children but in helping others in general. In these modern times, it is very seldom that we can actually find someone who is willing to sacrifice a lot for others. It can be a struggle to look after one another but Matt Marlon proved that a little sacrifice from the more fortunate ones can make a very big impact on the lives of others.

The Great Man That Is Matt Marlon

It really breaks my heart to see beggars on the street, especially if these beggars are little children who should be at school studying or in parks enjoying their childhood. I am not a mother. At least not yet but I have this really soft spot for children. I enjoy their company. I cherish every moment I get to spend with a child, whatever the circumstance may be. I have been living here in Las Vegas NV since I was 15 years old and every year, the number of children I see on the streets are increasing, some of them are out of school doing multiple jobs just to support themselves and their families and I got to know some who live with a single parent, either a mother or father. Just recently, I heard some good news about a man who has been working for years to help children in his own little ways.

            His name is Matt Marlon. Matthew A Marlon or Matt Marlon to most is someone who you would call a Big Brother. Matt Marlon is part of Big Brothers Big Sisters Program who aim to help children develop their potentials, realize their dreams and cope up with various situations they have to deal with. Yes, Matt Marlon is someone really worth my and your admiration. He works closely with Big Brothers Big Sisters in providing children a venue for positive growth. They offer a variety of programs such as Community-Based Mentoring, School-Based Mentoring, African-American Mentoring, Hispanic Mentoring, Native American Mentoring, Mentoring Military Children and Amachi Program.

            It is not easy to become a Big Brother or a Big Sister and the screening process is also tight since potential partners will have to deal with delicate, growing children. As every other Big Brother's story goes, Matt Marlon applied to become a Big Brother, passed the screening process and worked closely with children that are not his own. This vocation can be real demanding in terms of time, attention and physical strength and this all the more makes my admiration for Matt Marlon and all the other people out there who go out of their way to reach out to children grow. They find ways in making this world a better place to live in for our children. This may sound as a cliché to all of you but my ardent fascination and passion for children are just too strong and I cannot make this opportunity pass to make it known how great a person Matt Marlon is.