Issue Date: October 1, 2006

Past articles: Isaiah Washington lends a hand Marysol Castro on why volunteering is important to her "Katrina cottage" house giveaway Denzel Washington a life changing prophesy

Good Morning America is the exclusive broadcast partner for USA WEEKEND's Make A Difference Day 2006. Through October, read inspirational words from the show's anchors and correspondents in this magazine and watch the show for on-air messages about Make A Difference Day.

Helping others helps you

By Kate Snow, co-anchor of GMA's weekend edition

I have two "little sisters." Barb is the one I shared a bedroom with as a kid. Amanda is the one I met years later.

When I moved to Albuquerque to break into television reporting, I figured I could squeeze in several hours a week to volunteer. To be honest, I thought of it as something I should do.

What I didn't realize was how much volunteering through Big Brothers Big Sisters would become a part of my life -- not an obligation but a joy.

Amanda was a shy 6-year-old when we first met. Her mother, Marty, was raising three kids all by herself on a limited income in a gritty neighborhood. Amanda's father had been killed when she was just a toddler. Marty signed Amanda up for a Big Sister because she wanted her to have another role model, someone to help her feel special and show her a better future.

Together we went to ice cream shops and goofy movies. We'd do things she'd never done before like ice-skating or bowling or hiking. We rented a bike with training wheels, and I taught her to ride.

Two years into our friendship, I got a job in Atlanta. We both cried. And we pledged to stay connected.

Two summers ago I flew Amanda to Washington, D.C., for the first time. She stared wide-eyed at the Washington Monument, visited the ABC booth where I worked in the White House, and played with my son. I felt I was showing her a different world. She didn't want to leave.

Amanda is almost 16 now. She's trying to keep her grades up to get into college. She and her mom tell me I've been an inspiration.

I try to tell them how much our relationship has meant to me. How do I explain the thrill I feel when she tells me that she really wants to graduate, even as students around her are dropping out? How do I explain that Amanda made me see my own life differently?

I wouldn't trade either of my sisters for the world.