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THE NEED FOR MENTORS

Every child can benefit from the friendship and role modeling of a mentor and that is why Big Brothers Big Sisters' mission is: To provide a mentor for every child who wants and needs one.

We recognize that there are many children who are at great risk. This need is established by the presence of three or more of the following factors:

  • The child's family income is below the poverty level.
  • The child is a victim of abuse, whether emotional, physical or sexual.
  • The child lives in an unhealthy or threatening environment, marked by such bad influences as drug abuse or gang activity.
  • The child performs poorly in school.
  • The child is not living with two parents.
  • The child has a parent who is incarcerated.
  • The child has a teen-aged parent.
  • The head of the household is a high-school dropout.

All children need and deserve our help, but certainly there are those who need our help NOW. Big Brothers Big Sisters has helped countless young people lead better lives and break the cycle of poverty, violence, hopelessness and abuse. In order to continue this necessary work, we need responsible, caring mentors. In other words, we need you.

Our Impact

By becoming a Big Brothers Big Sisters donor or mentor, you are contributing to one of the most effective service organizations in the United States. The positive impact of Big Brothers Big Sisters has been demonstrated for more than a century, in communities across the nation.
A comprehensive national study by Public/Private Ventures, a Philadelphia-based research firm, showed that kids with mentors in Big Brothers Big Sisters are:

  • 52 percent less likely to skip school.
  • 27 percent less likely to begin using alcohol.
  • 46 percent less likely to begin using narcotics.
  • More confident in their schoolwork.
  • Less likely to resort to violence to solve problems.
  • Boys and girls from racial minorities were most strongly influenced by having a Big Brother or Big Sister. They were 70 percent less likely than their peers to initiate illegal drug use.


In other words, the Big Brothers Big Sisters program works!