Big Brothers Big Sisters of America

For more than 120 years, built on one idea: one caring adult can change the course of a young person’s life.

In 1904, Ernest Coulter, a clerk at the new New York Children’s Court, saw the same boys coming before the court again and again. He recruited 39 volunteers, each of whom agreed to befriend one boy. Around the same time the Ladies of Charity, later Catholic Big Sisters, began mentoring girls who came before the same court.

Those two efforts grew into Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, the nation’s largest donor- and volunteer-supported mentoring network. “Bigs” are matched one-to-one with “Littles” and spend time together regularly, building friendships that often last for years.

How to help

Become a Big, donate, or find your local agency through the official site.

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