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Frequently
Asked Questions
What
is Big Brothers Big Sisters?
Who
are Big Brothers and Big Sisters?
Who
are Little Brothers and Little Sisters?
Where
is Big Brothers Big Sisters located?
How
many children does Big Brothers Big Sisters serve today?
How
did Big Brothers Big Sisters get started?
How
is Big Brothers Big Sisters different from other mentoring
programs?
Have
the benefits of the Big Brothers Big Sisters program been studied?
Are
there different ways Bigs and Littles can interact?
How
does Big Brothers Big Sisters create a match?
How
much does it cost to make a match?
Where
does Big Brothers Big Sisters get its funding?
What
did Big Brothers Big Sisters doing to celebrate its 100th anniversary?
What
is the Centennial Book, “Little Moments, Big Magic?”
How
can I obtain the book?
How
is Nick Lachey involved?
Who
are Big Brothers Big Sisters' centennial sponsors?
Arby's
Yahoo!
What
is Big Brothers Big Sisters?
Big
Brothers Big Sisters is the oldest and largest youth mentoring
organization in the United States. The organization's
mission is to help children, ages six through 18, reach their
potential through professionally supported one-to-one relationships.
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Who are Big Brothers and Big Sisters?
Big
Brothers and Big Sisters are all kinds of people -- from high
school and college students to business people and retirees
-- who volunteer to spend time with children. Bigs sometimes
spend as little as one hour each week with a child in need.
Through the Big Brothers Big Sisters program, both the child
and the adult share everyday experiences that enrich the lives
of all involved.
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Who
are Little Brothers and Little Sisters?
Littles
are youths, ages six to 18, who come to Big Brothers Big Sisters
either through a parent or guardian or, in the Big Brothers
Big Sisters in Schools program, through the recommendation of
a teacher or school counselor. Littles are from single
and two-parent homes, from a variety of socio-economic backgrounds.
The genesis of a match is that a parent, guardian or teacher
believes that a child could benefit from the presence of an
additional caring adult in his/her life. The parent or
guardian gives permission for the child to participate.
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Where
is Big Brothers Big Sisters located?
Big
Brothers Big Sisters' agencies are located in 5,000 communities
across the country. Here in Michigan, we have more than
30 affiliate agencies and serve over 10,000 children in the
state. The national headquarters is located in Philadelphia,
PA.
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How
many children does Big Brothers Big Sisters serve today?
Today,
Big Brothers Big Sisters serves more than 10,000 youths in Michigan
and 220,000 youths nationwide and has embarked on an ambitious
plan to serve one million children nationwide by the year 2010.
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How
did Big Brothers Big Sisters get started?
Several
Big Brothers Big Sisters initiatives were started in the beginning
of the 20th century. These included one serving girls
in New York City and one in Cincinnati, OH serving boys.
The initiative that the current-day Big Brothers Big Sisters
organization traces its roots to began in New York City in 1904.
Ernest Coulter, a clerk of the Juvenile Court, was appalled
by the suffering of the thousands of children who repeatedly
came through the court system. At a meeting of civic and
business leaders on December 3, 1904, Coulter appealed to the
39 men present to take on the role of a “Big Brother.”
All 39 men stepped forward, creating the first Big Brothers
organization. In the decades to follow, Big Brothers and
Big Sisters programs sprang up throughout the country and today,
Big Brothers Big Sisters is the leading youth mentoring organization
in the United States.
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How
is Big Brothers Big Sisters different from other mentoring programs?
Big
Brothers Big Sisters is both the oldest and largest youth mentoring
organization in the country. It is recognized in the mentoring
community as having the premier system for recruiting, matching
and supporting Big and Little Brothers and Sisters. Another
distinguishing feature is that Big Brothers Big Sisters measures
the outcomes of its matches.
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Have
the benefits of the Big Brothers Big Sisters program been studied?
Yes.
A national study by Public Private Ventures documents the benefits
to Little Brothers and Sisters who participate in the Big Brothers
Big Sisters program. These youths were 52 percent less
likely to skip a day of school and 46 percent less likely to
start using drugs than peers who were not in the program.
Studies of youths in the school-based program show improved
school performance and attendance, better grades and greater
self-confidence. In addition, the impact of the match
on each child in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program is assessed
each year.
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Are
there different ways Bigs and Littles can interact?
Yes.
There are essentially two different types of programs at Big
Brothers Big Sisters: community-based and site-based.
In the community-based program, Bigs and Littles are matched
by trained professionals and spend time on activities they jointly
select, such as attending sporting events, going out for ice
cream and other everyday fun activities. Big Brothers
Big Sisters also offers site-based programs where meetings occur
between Bigs and Littles at a dedicated site, usually a school.
At Big Brothers Big Sisters in Schools programs, for instance,
Bigs and Littles meet regularly at school where they can have
lunch together, play sports in the gym or use the computers
in the library. Strict screening of volunteers occurs
for both programs and both involve ongoing support from trained
professionals. The Big Brothers Big Sisters in Schools
program is the fastest growing program within the Big Brothers
Big Sisters organization. In 2003, some 90,000 youths
were served through this program.
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How
does Big Brothers Big Sisters create a match?
Multiple
people are involved in the creation of a match: a parent or
guardian (in the schools program a teacher or counselor would
also be included), a child, a Big Brother or Sister, and a trained
Big Brothers Big Sisters professional. In the community
program, parents or guardians make the decision that their child
or children could benefit by having a Big Brother or Sister.
They then apply to the program and are interviewed by trained
Big Brothers Big Sisters staff who discuss with the parent what
the child's needs are. On the other side of the match
making, potential Big Brothers and Big Sisters -- all volunteers
-- are screened by skilled case management workers to ascertain
their suitability as a Big. Screening involves four parts:
1) a personal interview by a trained staff member, 2) a criminal
background check, 3) a reference check, and 4) a home assessment.
The skilled professional makes the match based on the knowledge
gained in the match process. A child and his or
her parents meet with the Big and if the parent gives consent,
the match is made. During the course of the match, a
trained case manager maintains contact with the match, oversees
its development and offers guidance, if needed.
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How
much does it cost to make a match?
Although
it can vary from state to state, it costs an average of $350
to make a match and another $650 to support it for one year.
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Where
does Big Brothers Big Sisters get its funding?
Funding
for Big Brothers Big Sisters comes from a variety of sources
including individuals; the United Way; foundations; corporations
and federal, state and local governments. You can support
your local agency by calling (517) 372-0160 or toll-free (877)
483-7145
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What
did Big Brothers Big Sisters doing to celebrate its 100th anniversary?
As
a cornerstone of its 100th anniversary, Big Brothers Big Sisters
thanked, honored and celebrated its former Big and Little Brothers
and Sisters.
In
January 2004, the organization introduced a new Web site and
embarked on an online campaign with Yahoo! to reconnect former
Big and Little Brothers and Sisters with the organization.
During
the week of June 14, 2004 Big Brothers Big Sisters returned
to its birthplace in New York City for its national conference,
the highlight of which was a “Grand Reunion Centennial Scoop”
event where 100 former Big and Little Brothers and Sisters were
reunited, some for the first time in decades. At
the event, celebrities including Nick Lachey, singer and star
of “Newlyweds: Nick & Jessica,” and NFL-great Lynn Swann,
offered their time to serve free ice cream to Bigs, Littles
and the public. Stilt walkers, magicians and jugglers
added to the festivities and there were signings of the centennial
book, “Little Moments, Big Magic: Inspirational Stories of Big
Brothers and Big Sisters and the Magic They Create.”
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What
is the Centennial Book, “Little Moments, Big Magic?”
“Little
Moments, Big Magic: Inspirational Stories of Big Brothers and
Big Sisters and the Magic They Create” is a collection of 100
stories, written by former Big and Little Brothers and Sisters.
These first person accounts were selected by a readers panel
from nearly 500 submissions.
The
book features a wide range of stories from matches all over
the country -- Maine to Florida and Alaska to Hawaii.
Some matches originate as far back as the 1930s. The book
also contains stories from several celebrities, including Wayne
Brady, Matt Lauer, chef Todd English and John Wells, executive
producer of NBC's West Wing and ER.
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How
can I obtain the book ?
Click
here for more information or to purchase the book.
More than 40 percent of proceeds from the sale of the book support
the organization.
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How
is Nick Lachey involved?
Nick
Lachey, who is in the final stages of the review process to
become a Big Brother, headlined the Grand Reunion Centennial
Scoop on June 16 at Bryant Park and will continue to represent
the organization in press interviews.
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Who
are Big Brothers Big Sisters' centennial sponsors?
Big
Brothers Big Sisters has two centennial sponsors: Arby's
and Yahoo! (See below). Big Brothers Big Sisters' national
sponsors are Allstate, FOOTACTION, Oscar Mayer, Procter &
Gamble and Rent-A-Center. Verizon is the sponsor of the
Grand Reunion Centennial Scoop. Holiday Inn is the sponsor
of the Nick Lachey Challenge at www.bigbrothersbigsisters.org
.
Arby's
Arby's
has partnered with Big Brothers Big Sisters since 1986 and to-date
has donated over $11 million dollars nationally. Additionally,
Arby's has funded scholarships for over 150 Littles throughout
the United States.
Arby's
is the largest corporate sponsor for Big Brothers Big Sisters
and as part of the Big Brothers Big Sisters 100 th anniversary
celebration, all Arby's restaurants on a national and local
level will have an opportunity to participate in a variety of
events, fundraisers and partnerships. In November 2004,
all Arby's restaurants will participate in a national sponsorship
by selling Arby's Oven Mitt premiums. Net proceeds from
the sale of the Oven Mitts will go directly to Big Brothers
Big Sisters. Arby's has also highlighted this celebration
by including the centennial logo as a link on its homepage at
http://www.arbys.com and
by placing the logo on all restaurant packaging including cups,
trayliners and carryout bags.
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Yahoo!
Yahoo!
selected Big Brothers Big Sisters as its non-profit partner
for 2004/2005. Through the power of its global network,
Yahoo! is helping to reunite former Bigs and Littles and to
encourage people to make a donation or volunteer. Yahoo!
is committed to connecting consumers to causes they care about
and creating fun, efficient and easy ways for them to make a
difference in their respective communities.
In
January 2004, Yahoo! marked the kick-off of the Big Brothers
Big Sisters 100th anniversary celebration by spotlighting the
organization's centennial on its homepage, the first time that
a non-profit organization was featured as prominently in the
highly coveted online real estate. In addition, throughout
the year, Yahoo! has been supporting the Big Brothers Big Sisters
alumni reunion and centennial activities with online banner
ads, joint marketing events and a special IMVironment – an instant
messaging environment that allows users to introduce Big Brothers
Big Sisters to their friends as they use the innovative feature
in Yahoo! Messenger.
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