Video by Jeff Baur
Every day, the men and women of CDCR give back to their communities. Captain Chance Andes is no exception. The California Medical Facility Captain spends his spare time volunteering for Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Sacramento Area (BBBS), spending quality time with his “Little Brother,” Christian.
Inside CDCR followed Andes and Christian to Christian’s first baseball game, where they shared how spending time together through the Bigs with Badges program makes both their lives better.
To learn more about Big Brothers Big Sisters Sacramento, visit bbbs-sac.org (link opens new tab). To learn more about Big Brothers Big Sisters nationwide, visit bbbs.org (link opens new tab).
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Read the original Beyond the Badge story.
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Have you been enjoying the Inside CDCR videos? This project highlights the staff, volunteers, community partners, programs, and incarcerated men and women that make the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation exceptional. If you have a story we should cover, please email Kristina.Khokhobashvili@cdcr.ca.gov (link opens new email message).
TRANSCRIPT
Captain Chance Andes
This is Christian’s first baseball game. BBS, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, was nice enough to donate some tickets to a bunch of us so I thought I would take him to a game.
Christian
We are going to see a baseball game. We’re going to see the Rivercats vs. the Aces, which by the way the Aces suck…(clears throat)
Andes
Thank you so much.
Christian
We gotta go, go, go, go…
Andes
Christian was the first match that I was offered and it sounded like a pretty good fit. I think there’s some things that we have different. You know, I’m a heavy sports background and I wanted to share that with him and he’s very creative, very smart kid and he teaches me a lot of things too. It’s a very good match.
Christian
I think he’s the most amazingest person ever!
Andes
Look at this cool view right here.
Christian
What?
Andes
Look at it. Now you can see everything.
Reese Scherber
All that we ask for is for them to be a trusted confidant and for them to just be a consistent force in the child’s life. We just ask for them to be a friend.
Andes
OK. Now back up a little bit. There you go. Good job!
I think it’s just so important right now that we get a chance to give back to our communities and interact with our kids that are within our communities.
Christian
Set…go…
Chance
Deep down we’re both all wanting to have fun and a good time and this program gives you an opportunity to do that.
Stadium announcer
Your Sacramento Rivercats…(cheering)
Andes
First game. He got his first foul ball.
Christian
A baseball. A baseball. A baseball. A baseball. A baseball.
Andes
Thank you.
Christian
I got a baseball. A professional baseball.
Andes
How cool is that? Let me see. It says official ball, Pacific Coast League.
Christian
It’s literally the most amazingest thing in the world…whoo…
Andes
I’m able to kind of teach him the game a little bit which is pretty exciting for me and I think it’s new for him so I think he likes it as well.
He’s tiring out…
Christian
We went to a lot of Kings games and then we went to a lot of different parks and then…there’s so many things, I can’t remember them all.
Andes
Knowing correctional staff, knowing LEO, law enforcement staff, they have a need too. Right? They want people to talk to and sometimes we work different shifts and we deal with a lot of different stuff so I think kids kind of take you back to this humble factor and making you feel…feel fun again and feel like a little kid, you know. Usually we start the job to protect our communities and protect the public so I think it’s natural to kind of want to guide our youth and be a good mentor.