BENTONVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — Children are finding life-long friendships and mentors in Northwest Arkansas thanks to Big Brothers Big Sisters of NWA.

As Atticus Sorrells scales a wall at Climb Bentonville, his big brother Travis McCloskey keeps a close eye.

“Just be able to have fun and tell jokes,” Sorrells said about having fun with McCloskey.

They are not biological brothers, but rather matched up through Big Brothers Big Sisters.

“They need an opportunity for somebody to step in and somebody to just hang out as a friend. And somebody to just hang out as a friend. Sometimes they don’t have siblings, so they get to enjoy that as well,” McCloskey said.

For nearly two years, Sorrells and McCloskey have been hanging out., going climbing, to trampoline parks and playing sports.

“I think he’s a pretty good match. I understand him. He understands me,” Sorrells said.

“I’ve always had a passion for mentoring. That’s kinda why I got into this. I love spending time with people, being very intentional with my time. With Atticus we like to go do fun things that I would normally like to do anyway,” McCloskey said.

Amidst all of that fun, the brothers learn to grow.

“You end up teaching each other a lot. You end up teaching each other ways of working, manners respect, ways we’d handle certain situations. I’ve learned a lot from Atticus and I hope he’s learned a lot from me as well,” McCloskey said.

Big Brothers Big Sisters can use more volunteers, especially to serve as big brothers. To learn more, click here.