MONROE - It started out as only a few hours a week through Big Brothers Big Sisters, but almost two decades later, two matched "brothers" are still finding ways to stay in each other's lives.
David Kempel, who was 33 in 1993, was matched with 10-year-old David Sanfillipo through the volunteer mentoring program.
Sanfillipo credited Kempel with providing a positive male role model in his life.
"I could have been in the life of criminals, drug users," Sanfillipo said, "but with David's guidance, I stayed out of that lifestyle.
"I came over to David's when I had no other place to go," Sanfillipo said. "I never had any real problems because of Dave's generosity."
Now the two Davids - Sanfillipo, a Marine stationed at Camp Pendleton in California, and Kempel, who works full-time at Klondike Cheese Company and part-time at Burger King - visit each as much as they can. Sanfillipo was in Monroe visiting Kempel for several days over the past weekend.
Over the past 18 years later, the two Davids have kept in touch, even telling people, like Sanfillipo's wife, that they are brothers. And two of Sanfillipo's three children call Kempel "Uncle David."
Through his time in the military, Sanfillipo made sure to keep in touch with Kempel, telling him where he was going and how he was doing. Kempel was even present to see Sanfillipo graduate from boot camp.
The pairing of the two Davids almost didn't happen.
A BBBS representative came to Kempel's work, Advance Transformer, to do some recruiting, but at the time, Kempel had little time to volunteer. After things slowed down, he filled out the required paper work, including a personality questionnaire that helps match the adults with the children in the program.
Both Davids did as many BBBS-sponsored events as they could, as well as bonding over other activities, including purchasing Nala, a 13-year-old Springer Spaniel and black lab mix dog from the humane society; Nala still lives with Kempel.
One thing Sanfillipo said he learned from his Big Brother was that there was more avenues for him in life.
"He had a lot of challenges growing up and I was a positive influence," Kempel said. "I'm glad I stuck with it."
David Kempel, who was 33 in 1993, was matched with 10-year-old David Sanfillipo through the volunteer mentoring program.
Sanfillipo credited Kempel with providing a positive male role model in his life.
"I could have been in the life of criminals, drug users," Sanfillipo said, "but with David's guidance, I stayed out of that lifestyle.
"I came over to David's when I had no other place to go," Sanfillipo said. "I never had any real problems because of Dave's generosity."
Now the two Davids - Sanfillipo, a Marine stationed at Camp Pendleton in California, and Kempel, who works full-time at Klondike Cheese Company and part-time at Burger King - visit each as much as they can. Sanfillipo was in Monroe visiting Kempel for several days over the past weekend.
Over the past 18 years later, the two Davids have kept in touch, even telling people, like Sanfillipo's wife, that they are brothers. And two of Sanfillipo's three children call Kempel "Uncle David."
Through his time in the military, Sanfillipo made sure to keep in touch with Kempel, telling him where he was going and how he was doing. Kempel was even present to see Sanfillipo graduate from boot camp.
The pairing of the two Davids almost didn't happen.
A BBBS representative came to Kempel's work, Advance Transformer, to do some recruiting, but at the time, Kempel had little time to volunteer. After things slowed down, he filled out the required paper work, including a personality questionnaire that helps match the adults with the children in the program.
Both Davids did as many BBBS-sponsored events as they could, as well as bonding over other activities, including purchasing Nala, a 13-year-old Springer Spaniel and black lab mix dog from the humane society; Nala still lives with Kempel.
One thing Sanfillipo said he learned from his Big Brother was that there was more avenues for him in life.
"He had a lot of challenges growing up and I was a positive influence," Kempel said. "I'm glad I stuck with it."