Victoria's chapter of Big Brothers Big Sisters is looking for volunteers to help mentor children and youth in the program.

Rhonda Brown, the executive director of the chapter, says there are around 100 youth who would like a mentor.

"Having a mentor in the life of a child really does have a significant impact," Brown said. "So the demand for the service continues to increase."

Brown says many of the children in the program are from families who come to the organization after a significant loss, like the death of a parent. Others are from single-parent families who are struggling with poverty, chronic health issues, or addiction.

"Sometimes parents ... feel like they don't have enough constructive time with their child," she said.

Brown says they are looking for volunteers who enjoy spending time with kids and who can make a weekly time commitment for at least a year.

The organization, which screens every volunteer, provides an orientation and training before pairing up mentors with their little brother or sister.

Most volunteer partnerships work out best if the mentor and mentee share similar interests and skills.

"If we can focus on that in the beginning, we do see that most of our volunteers stay in the life that child on average for about 3½ years and, some of them, for a lifetime," she said.

Marie-Eve Long, who has been a volunteer big sister for the past four years, says her relationship with her little sister mentee is relaxed. The two often cook together, do board games nights, go for walks, or grab a coffee.

Long says it's been a rewarding relationship for both her mentee and herself.

"At the end of the time I'm seeing her, I feel better just because it's really nice to spend time with her," said Long, who now has a second little sister mentee.

"The opportunity to be part of a young person's life, and the stages of their life like that, is a pretty rare experience," Brown said.

Listen to the segment from CBC's All Points West: