Frequently Asked Questions
What is your agency mission?
Why is mentoring important?
How does mentoring work?
Why choose this program over others?
What is Big Brothers Big Sisters of America?
What is your service area?
What is your greatest need?
How many people volunteer annually with your organization?
You have over 100 kids waiting for Big Brothers or Big Sisters --How long do they wait?
How many kids do you serve?
How will I be matched with a child?
How do children come into the program?
Who are the children in the program?
How do I volunteer?
What are the requirements to mentor?
Do the mentoring programs cost anything?
How will I know I made a difference?
I travel for work. Can I still volunteer?
I'm in college. Can I volunteer?
I heard that you really need minority volunteers. Why?
Why do you need more Big Brothers?
FAQ's for being a Big Brother>
FAQ's for being a Big Sister>
Will you come to my business, church, sorority or social club to make a presentation?
Besides volunteering, how can I help?
Does Big Brothers Big Sisters have any results to prove success?
Do you need financial support, too?
Do you have a newsletter?
What is your agency mission?
Our mission is to provide children facing adversity with strong and enduring, professionally supported 1-to-1 relationships that change their lives for the better, forever.
We partner with parents/guardians, volunteers and others in the community and hold ourselves accountable for each child in our program achieving higher aspirations, greater confidence and better relationships while also avoiding risky behaviors and achieving educational success.
Why is mentoring important?
Mentoring is the act of providing guidance and friendship to someone who could use a role model for life's choices and decisions. By mentoring, people can help others reach goals and improve self-esteem. When mentoring children, volunteers offer to help build a strong foundation for youth as they grow.
How does mentoring work?
It's simple. Someone volunteers to develop a relationship with a young person, offering support and guidance. By spending time together, learning new things and enjoying friendship, the mentor helps the young person make better life choices.
Why choose this program over others?
Big Brothers Big Sisters pioneered youth mentoring in 1904. We are the industry leader in mentoring services to children. An independent national study surveyed our programs and methods spanning a five-year period. This research company found kids involved in Big Brothers Big Sisters mentoring programs were more likely to graduate and stay out of trouble when compared to their peers without mentors. They also found kids improved their school grades and relationships with others. Our program has proven results. As well, other local mentoring programs most of the time do not have paid staff dedicated to supporting your mentoring relationship and are not able to provide high-quality child safety practices in their programs.
What is Big Brothers Big Sisters of America?
Big Brothers Big Sisters of America is the umbrella organization that supports local Big Brothers Big Sisters agencies. They are headquartered in Philadelphia and offer standards for agencies to provide consistent, quality services.
What is your service area?
The service area includes Allen, Barren and Warren County in Kentucky. All children must live within one of those counties; however, our volunteers often travel from other counties to be involved.
What is your greatest need?
We need volunteers. With more than 100 children waiting for a mentor, we just can't recruit people fast enough. And to keep those mentoring relationships going, we need funds to do it. The bottom line - more mentors, more dollars. This offers more services to kids in need.
How many people volunteer annually with your organization?
Volunteers support every aspect of our agency from supporting our funding efforts to volunteering at agency activities. And of course, volunteers are the essence of our mentoring relationships. We have over 300 volunteers in mentoring relationships alone, on top of the hundreds of volunteers who help at our fundraising events, community events, and through Board involvement.
You have over 100 kids waiting for Big Brothers or Big Sisters --How long do they wait?
Our children who have been matched waited an average of five months for caring, positive mentors to enter their lives. Those who are yet to be matched can sometimes wait up to a year or more. We need volunteers! Twelve months may not seem long to you, but for a child, it can seem like forever.
How many kids do you serve?
We serve more than 340 children annually in our mentoring programs. We also offer outsourcing and referrals for other issues facing our kids and their families. As a full-service agency, we touch thousands of area children through our efforts annually.
About the Process of Becoming a Big:
How will I be matched with a child?
The enrollment and interview process helps us to get to know your preferences as well as the situation best suited for you. It also helps you get to know us and the program expectations. We take into account your personality, likes, dislikes, age preferences, background, and location. But the final decision is yours.
How do children come into the program?
Children and parents may hear about Big Brothers Big Sisters from a teacher, a counselor, their church, a friend, commercials, etc. All children and their parents choose to be in our program.
Who are the children in the program?
Our Littles come from many types of home environments and family structures, different social-economic levels, ethnic backgrounds, and neighborhoods and schools across all communities. Their backgrounds and personalities are unique, but they all have a need for friendship with a caring adult.
How do I volunteer?
The process is easy! Visit the Getting Started page, Fill it out and press submit. We will then get an application out to you right away and schedule a time to conduct an Orientation/Training session with you and also an interview. We ask a few people about you, and ask you a few questions about yourself. Once our background check is complete and your application has passed screening, you enter the mentoring program of your choice.
What are the requirements to mentor?
Volunteers involved in our Community-Based Mentoring program must be at least 18 years old and have their own transportation, and volunteers who are interested in our School-Based Mentoring program must be at least 15 years old and in high school. We want stable, positive people to volunteer. You don't have to be brilliant, athletic, famous or rich - our kids need real people as role models.
Do the mentoring programs cost anything?
No. You don't have to spend money. This program is about developing a relationship with a Little Brother or Little Sister. We encourage no-cost or low-cost activities to do together. We don't have an annual membership fee and we even provide volunteers a list of fun, free activities to do.
How will I know I made a difference?
You might not see results right away. Mentoring relationships take time to build trust. Our Big Brothers and Big Sisters are supported by having Match Support Staff to help monitor their relationships. These professionals can help you see the difference you make in the life of a Little Brother or Little Sister including increased self-esteem, becoming more outgoing, expanded interests, better grades in school. You can be instrumental in helping a child succeed.
I travel for work. Can I still volunteer?
Our programs ask for a one-year commitment. We have found time consistency to be one of the most important elements in being an effective mentor. Many of our Big Brothers and Big Sisters fit their relationships with their flexible lifestyles. And some of our programs are perfect for that busy corporate traveler. It's making the right program choice for your lifestyle that counts.
I'm in college. Can I volunteer?
Absolutely. Being a Big Brother or Big Sister can greatly add to your collegiate experience. You have flexible time and spending that time with a Little Brother or Little Sister would work well with a class schedule. As a matter of fact, we'd love to meet some of your college friends and introduce them to the idea of mentoring. (By the way, some colleges offer credit for community service when you volunteer - check with your campus career office or volunteer center!)
I heard that you really need minority volunteers. Why?
Our agency matches mentors with kids based on the strengths of the volunteer and the needs of the child. We do not base relationships on ethnicity. However, we also realize children might benefit from having mentors of their own race, to offer insight into culture and heritage. We especially need African-American and Hispanic volunteers, with our greatest need being male mentors.
Why do you need more Big Brothers?
Predominantly, females volunteer more often and at a greater rate than their counterparts. Most of the children waiting for a mentor are boys (about 70 percent!) and they could use a positive adult male to look up to. Most of these boys are from female-headed households and have no close male role models. That's why we focus our recruitment toward men.
FAQ's for being a Big Brother>
FAQ's for being a Big Sister>
Other Questions:
Will you come to my business, church, sorority or social club to make a presentation?
Please, twist our arm! Whenever you are interested in having one of our agency representatives share our mission with others, contact us. We can provide audio-visual presentations, videos, speeches, materials about Big Brothers Big Sisters.
Besides volunteering, how can I help?
Head to our Support Us or Special Events page and read about ways you can financially support Big Brothers Big Sisters - our mission, our cause and our kids.
Does Big Brothers Big Sisters have any results to prove success?
Of course. We wouldn't be in business if we couldn't refer to our bottom line. In our local agency, we surveyed our kids. We found their grades and self-confidence improved as well as their relationships with peers and family. Nationally, a study showed kids involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters were less likely to have peer conflict, skip school or use drugs. Additionally, a survey was conducted with former Littles (Alumni) who reported that having a Big played an important role in who they are today by positively influencing their self-confidence, providing stability, changing their perspective on life and pushing them to set higher goals than they would have.
Do you need financial support, too?
Although ours is a business, it is a not-for-profit business and relies on fundraising, grants, donations and individual gifts. Our Support Us page on this web site provides insight into other ways to offer financial support in addition to our special events.
Do you have a newsletter?
Certainly. We have an e-newsletter that we send out on a regular basis to our supporters to keep them up-to-date on our children's success, events, and ways to get involved.
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