Quick Facts

WHAT:
We are a non-profit organization and an affiliate of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.

GOAL:
Our goal is to match each enrolled child with an adult volunteer—someone who will provide mentoring, guidance, friendship and support.

WHY:
Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) finds that mentoring can help children cope with the social pressures of early adolescence as well as help educate and guide them into making appropriate choices in school, at home, and in their personal lives.

SERVICES:
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southeast Indiana has both community-based and school-based mentoring programs.

COST:
All services are free. 

OUR CHILDREN:
Children served are between the ages of 6 and 14 who, for a variety of reasons, need a mentor and special friend.  Children are referred to us by teachers, counselors, ministers, and parents themselves.

OUR VOLUNTEERS:
Volunteers must be at least 16 years of age, have a valid driver’s license and proof of auto insurance.  Potential volunteers must undergo a screening process that involves an in-person interview, criminal history and reference check, and a home visit. 

MATCHING PROCESS:
Our professional staff at Big Brothers Big Sisters thoroughly screens all volunteer applicants, conducts interviews and home visits, provides training, and once accepted, matches each “Big” with a “Little” who has been accepted into the program.  Every effort is made to match Bigs and Littles with similar interests and personalities.  We honor individual preferences of the parents/guardians when selecting which volunteer will be matched with their child.  The parent, volunteer and child must agree to the proposed match. 

TIME AND OUTINGS:
Once matched, the volunteer and child agree upon the amount of time they will see one another.  Each match meets on a regular basis doing such things as going to dinner or to a movie, taking a walk in the park, playing board games, attending sporting events, reading at the library, or doing homework.  Matches balance their time between recreational, social and educational activities.

AGENCY ACTIVITIES:
The agency occasionally sponsors free activities for all matches and children on our waiting list.  Such activities in the community-based program include: swim parties, movie nights, bingo nights, and the annual Christmas party.   Special holiday activities and year-end pizza parties take place for those students who participate in the school-based programs.

PROVEN SUCCESS:
According to a 1995 study conducted by the Public/Private Ventures group, the results indicated that one-to-one mentoring really “works” as a strategy for supporting children at risk.  This was the first study ever conducted on Big Brothers Big Sisters one-to-one mentoring.  Researchers found that children who had a Big Brother or Big Sister mentor in their lives were:  52% less likely to skip school; 46% less likely to begin using illegal drugs; 27% less likely to begin using alcohol; 33% less likely to hit someone; more confident of their performance in schoolwork showed improvements in school attendance and performance; and were getting along better with their peers and families. 

FUNDING:                          
BBBS is funded by local United Ways, state and local grants, private donations and fundraising.  Our signature fundraising event, Bowl-For-Kids’-Sake, is conducted each year in the spring.