Ten-year-old Leo Marquez and his mentor Barry Levey head out for some cauliflower Buffalo wings.

"Ever since I saw Barry, I was like, 'Hey, you're vegan. That's really cool.' He told me about it," Marquez said.

The two were paired together by Bigs & Littles NYC Mentoring. The nonprofit matches children with role models.

Leo's mother, who joined for dinner this time, signed him up for it.

"We went to Inwood Park. That was really nice good exercise as well," Marquez said.

It's been a tough year for Marquez. His mother was hospitalized for COVID-19 a few months back and he was bullied during remote learning. Having a mentor helped.

"I felt, like, really sad, but Thursday calls and Saturday outings really lifted my spirits," Marquez said.

Vidhya Kelly, the CEO and executive director of Bigs & Littles NYC Mentoring. said as the city reopens, it is important for children to have positive influences in their lives.

"I think COVID in particular, we've seen so much research around loneliness in general now," Kelly said. "I think COVID put us in a position where children more than anyone felt more isolated than ever. Matches were stable throughout the year.

The organization says during the pandemic all of the littles were promoted to the the next grade and 87% said they gained self-confidence. Marquez said Levey helped him reach that goal.

"He tells me stuff like, 'You can do this,'" Marquez said.

"You are very bold and curious and honest in your approach to people, and I think it is infectious," Levey said.

Levey knew he wanted to be a mentor after his family members joined.

"The program really changed both of their lives, and I really wanted to experience that and mentor someone," he said.

They're already planning their next meet-up.