A Big Brother or Big Sister is an adult volunteer who is matched with a child between the ages of six and sixteen for a mentoring friendship.  A "Big" may be from any walk of life, either married or single, and with or without their own children.  They are committed, caring, and have the ability to provide positive guidance and support to their Little.  The matches spend one-to-one time together doing things that friends do... like talking, playing ball, walking in the park, watching a movie or just hanging out.  You don't have to change your life to become a mentor, it just means having a little someone else to share it with.

We do not believe in ourselves until someone reveals that deep inside us is valuable, worth listening to, worthy of our trust, sacred to our touch. Once we believe in ourselves we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight or any experience that reveals the human spirit. — E.e. Cummings

What is the basic commitment of a Big Brother / Big Sister Volunteer?

Volunteers are asked to sign on for a minimum of 1 year.  Developing a friendship with a child and creating a positive influence takes time.  We strongly believe that the success of the friendship between a "Big" and a "Little" depends more on regular and consistent contact and the enjoyment of the activities together, than on the length of each visit.  While any amount of time that a mentor contributes to a child's life is beneficial, we encourage an average of 2-4 hours a week as a guideline.

Who are the Littles?

Children in our programs range in age from 6 - 16 years.  Each child is unique, responsive, and has a need for a consistent, positive role model.  As we are a volunteer service, our program is friendship based and is not designed as a form of intervention for serious individual or family problems.

How do I apply to become a Big?