I was a bit apprehensive about taking on an unknown responsibility but soon felt at ease with Andy and her family. We have become the best of friends and a very important part of each other's lives.

Over time I have had the pleasure of seeing Andy grow from a reserved schoolgirl into a young lady with self-confidence, determination and courage and a great sense of humour. Together we enjoy doing lots of "girl" things including shopping, afternoon teas, bowling, movies and time spent with family and friends. It has been great to see Andy's circle of friends and acquaintances grow and to see her stepping out into the world around her. She now works in a sheltered facility and loves to chat about her fellow work mates and friends.

I look forward to our visits and phone calls and our time together gives me a chance to take valuable ‘time out’ in my busy life. It is wonderful to arrive at her home and see her eagerly waiting in the front yard and to be greeted with a loving hug, or to hear a cheery “love you" when she hangs up the phone. Of course things sometimes have their ups and downs but Andy never holds grudges and every day is a fresh start.

Sometimes people say how ‘kind’ I am to spend time with Andy and I try hard to make them aware of the blessings and joys that Andy has brought into my life. As other members of the Interchange family know, friendship is a two-way thing. If it wasn't for Interchange I would not have met a dear and true friend. I look forward to lots of happy times and adventures together in the future and to know that a special friend is only a phone call away! Thanks Interchange.

Jane and Ruth
I have known my Teen Companion, Ruth, now for ten years.

She has been a terrific friend and has always been there for me.

We go out to places like the movies, lunch, zoo and text each other often. I have been up to her house, and she comes to my house sometimes for lunch. We watch DVDs together. We have fun together and I hope we will always remain good friends.

Aaron and Andrew
I have known Andrew for about two and a half years now. In that time we have formed a strong friendship and had lots of fun. Our first date was to McDonalds, this is Andrew’s favourite place to eat. We were both quite nervous on this first occasion and the feeling of discomfort was exacerbated by the fact that, being a vegetarian, I sat sipping coke while Andrew chewed down his cheeseburger. It was like being on a blind date, neither of us knew the other person and neither of us are particularly socially outgoing around people we don’t know. After a while, however, we both became more relaxed and more trusting of each other.

Andrew is most definitely a ‘ladies man’; whenever my sister or female friends would hang out with us, Andrew would become quite cheeky and funny to impress the girls. We have had loads of fun playing practical jokes on girlfriends and Andrew is constantly inquiring as to the whereabouts and plans of my sister. Andrew is an hilarious friend and lots of fun to be around, his sly sense of humour is both appreciated and reciprocated.

An activity which we enjoy on a regular basis is bowling. The first time we went to the alley together was quite memorable. Having selected our shoes, entered our names into the computer and chosen our balls the scene was set. It was then that I realised that Andrew has quite a unique bowling style. I must admit that during that first game there were numerous times that I feared for the safety of both myself and other bowling patrons. Andrew takes the ball and swings it right over his head, once, twice, (and at this stage I’m praying he’s got a good grip on that thing) three times and then launches it into the air. It took a little while for me to realise that Andrew was in complete control and that his style, unorthodox as it may be, yields quite good results. In fact, although I pretend the ‘bumpers’ are on the lane for Andrew’s sake, it is me who seems to use them more often, as Andrew regularly gives me a thrashing with many ‘strikes’, while my ball bounces all over the place. Bowling is a lot of fun for Andrew and me and I think he secretly enjoys my frustration at being beaten over and over.

The past two years with Andrew have been a treat. He is a lot of fun to be around and he often brightens up otherwise boring, uneventful days. I look forward to many more years of friendship.

Renee & Marisa
It has been a year since I became Renee’s teen companion. We meet once a fortnight and our outings will usually start with an ‘mild’ debate over what music we should listen to, and then usually Renee will insist I take her shopping; I’m sure we have seen most of the shopping centres in Adelaide by now. I consider myself a good shopper but she outdoes even me! Renee absolutely loves care bears, so we have done our share of bear hunts as well. We have also fitted in some other outings that include going to the cinema, arts & crafts, tracking down the best parks and going to arcades.

But it’s not really about the locations or the activities - it’s more about being able to get Renee and myself away from the usual day-to-day life and to do something together. When I decided to undertake volunteer work, I chose to give some of my time to being a teen companion with Interchange, as I knew how much of a positive effect that having a companion is on teenagers with disabilities.

I know that Renee looks forward to our outings, as do I. We have tried a lot of new things together and even though sometimes I’ve had to put a ban on the shopping, it is still one of our most fun outings. It’s interesting to think back to when we first met and how shy she was, we both probably were, but now she’s very keen to tell me exactly what she’s thinking!

It has been a great year getting to know Renee, and I’m sure we have lots more good times to have together. I always encourage others to make the time and get involved in the program, especially for the feel-good factor that you bring to others and yourself.

PS…Renee celebrated her 18th birthday on February 22nd so I would like to say a big HAPPY BIRTHDAY to her!!