Corey Ramsey, an Iowa State sophomore, spends one hour every week playing.

Ramsey is a volunteer with the Ames-ISU Y-Pal program that matches selected children with ISU students for nurturing and support.

Ramsey, a sophomore majoring in elementary education, became involved in the program after a resident assistant told him about it.

“I wanted to get some stuff on my resume and interact with the community,” Ramsey said.

Ramsey’s pal is Michael Ross. Michael’s mother, Sarah Ross, said she was a “little leery” of the program at first, “but it has helped me out a lot and Michael, too. He doesn’t have a dad around, and Corey takes him hiking, to ball games and to movies. They talk together, and Michael loves it.”

“I was a little nervous at first,” Ramsey added, “but I got through it. Whenever I go over there, the whole family talks to me, and I feel really welcome.”

Organizers say Ramsey’s experience is typical.

“Our response from the students who live in the greek houses and residence halls has been great,” said Gary Holley, program director. “They really help us.”

Holley said there is more of a demand for men volunteers than women.

“Usually it’s the father that’s not an active role model, and there’s a need — especially with boys — to have a male to look up to,” he said.

Valerie Dillavou-Rivas said Y-Pals changed the life of her 5-year-old daughter, Mikyla.

“My oldest daughter has a chromosomal condition that takes a lot of my extra time and attention,” Dillavou-Rivas said, “and my 5-year old daughter, Mikyla, gets jealous. It’s a wonderful program. If they can’t talk to mom or dad, at least there is someone to look up to. Mikyla tells Malissa [her Y-Pal] things she doesn’t tell me. It also gives me some time out from her, and it gives her some time out from me.”

The purpose of the program is not to provide counseling or discipline, Holley said.

“We want to give them the opportunity to learn about other people and have new experiences.” The stress for big pals, Holley said, is on dependability and building the child’s trust.

“They look forward to seeing their big pal, and they’re excited to have somebody to do something with on a one-to-one basis,” Holley said. “When they don’t show up, the child knows.”

What a big pal is able to do with their little pal varies from child to child, Holley said.

“For a child, it depends on a lot of things, like maturity and attention span,” Dillavou-Rivas added. “Most 4- and 5-year olds aren’t able to sit down and watch a whole movie, and aren’t interested in anything in particular. Volunteers need to be flexible.”

That flexibility, Ramsey said, is the key.

“Yeah, we talk about cars a lot,” Ramsey said. “We go bowling, hiking, hit baseballs, but now he’s really big on video games and Nintendo.”

Response to the program has been positive from both parents and volunteers, Holley said, but the program has had its problems.

“The program works because of the high-quality pool of volunteers we have,” he said. “Although there is never a guarantee when working with people, the positive aspects far outweigh the negatives that have come up.”

One of the main problems has to do with the volunteer’s time constraints, Holley said.

“Students sometimes realize that their studies that semester are more than they thought, and they’re spreading themselves too thin,” he said. “If we need to, we can find a replacement.”

Holley said the goal for the program volunteers is a minimum of two hours each week with their pal — preferably for at least one year.

Volunteers must fill out an application before beginning the program. For an application, call the Ames YMCA, or stop by Room 109 in the Lab Mechanics Building.