Big Brothers Big Sisters of America

We lived in Maine and waited for a few years before we finally found a big sister for our daughter.
Previous to finding someone, I walked her to the door of a BBBS office only to find it closed and this made me feel like an idiot.

When we finally met with a BBBS supervisor, we were made to fill out a survey form to find out if she went through sexual abuse. I do not think you could find out about abuse by having a child answer questions on a form! I also think this intrusion into our lives was just a ploy to get rid of us. We never heard from them again.

A few years later, she was ecstatic when she first met her big sister at her birthday party. This volunteer had personal charm but that is not all it takes to help and guide children.
My child complied with her side of the written agreement which included that she was there at the scheduled meeting times and that she should show that she's happy to see her Big Sister when she arrives.

When the volunteer arrived, my girl would go flying down the stairs and out the door to meet her and in this way, she did her part.

In response to this, the volunteer always pulled no-shows and no-call-no-shows and even lied to me, which if people do this on a job they get fired and if they do it to a friend, it's emotional and psychological abuse.
One day she pulled the "I wanted to make sure you're there" trick where she called at the last minute and left a message on my answering machine to give me this wacked out excuse for why she was not coming.

"I wanted to make sure you're there so I don't have to drive all the way down there for nothing..." This trick is ages old and is the most despicable abuse of my daughter's trust. This nasty wretched phone call had my daughter in tears.
Another time she called me and said she had not even come back into town from college but I also had a conversation with someone at her house who told me the opposite and because I had called her house, I caught her in a lie.

When BBBS terminated this relationship, I reported the continuing no-shows to the supervisor and was met with more abuse.

I had to explain to her that pulling no-shows and no-call-no-shows is emotional and mental abuse. I also told her that my main concern is about the feelings of my daughter.
Then she insulted me by saying that she was going to give the volunteer "a good recommendation" and she was being nasty about it.

Then she lied about my IQ by saying, "the volunteers are not surrogate parents" and I was enraged that she could slander me and put these words in my mouth.
In addition to this claim I was also falsely accused to trying to make her big sister babysit.

The outrageous claim that I think they're "surrogate parents" does not justify the thoughtless behavior of a volunteer who abused us with her constant no-shows.

Their violation of my daughter's trust was just another step on the downward spiral she got stuck in as she was growing up.

I contacted Big Brothers to inquire about a mentor for my son. I was divorced and my sons father was a heroin addict who was in prison. Obviously my sons father was not a participating parent. I was told that since my sons father was still alive, my son could not have a big brother. As a result, my son grew up without a male mentor.

For years my mom tried to get me matched up with a Big Brother. They never sent anyone. When I became an adult I attempted to volunteer for big brothers so that other kids wouldn't have to be as disappointed as I was. Despite numerous phone calls, and emails to a few different branches I was never even able to get an application. So I gave up. The only thing this organization seems to be good at is false hope.

Big Brothers / Big Sisters has decided to terminate my association with the program for no good cause and end the relationship I was developing with a 12-year-old boy in need of a male role model whose father tragically passed away.

I was initially approved to be a Big on Friday, Jun 26, 2020 and after waiting patiently I was matched with my little on Wednesday December 02 2020 during the height of COVID. After our initial meeting via a teleconference call, we began the relationship by having ZOOM video calls each week and after chatting for a while decided to watch the Star Wars movies together (remotely) which my little told me he’d never seen and wanted to.

After completing the viewing of the first three films, my little’s mother advised she wanted us to engage in more intellectual activities, so being it was Black History Month I put together a PowerPoint presentation of several famous and influential African American men from history which was received positively by my little.

We next decided to play chess and trivia games online each week and I was pleased when my little won more games against me than I expected. During these games I always tried to ask him how things were going, what was new in his life and if he felt the need to chat about anything in particular. I always found it hard to connect with him being just a face on his cell phone but I kept trying and telling him I was here for him if anything was wrong, bothering him or if he just wanted to talk to someone.

After I received the COVID vaccine, went through the waiting period and after chatting with my little’s mother, the 12-year-old boy and I decided to meet in person for the first time (with his mother present) on Sunday June 13th 2021 at a local gaming center where we bowled and played some video games while we chatted and got to know each other better. Both his mother and I felt the meeting went well and we agreed to meet again in a few weeks after his family returned to Atlanta after visiting family out of state.

Upon their return to Atlanta, I made an appointment to meet again with my little in person on Sunday June 16th 2021 and his mother requested that I pick him up at their residence for our meeting and bring him home again afterwards which was no problem. My little and I went to a different family gaming center where we played air hockey, racing video games and he utilized a VR headset game which he very much enjoyed. After our time together I brought my little home again and looked forward to us meeting again which he advised me he was also interested in doing.

Unexpectedly, and out of the blue I received a phone call on Thursday July 22, 2021 at 12:17pm from the third case worker I’ve dealt with during my tenure with BBBS who advised the decision was made to end my relationship with the program; the family didn’t make this decision, BBBS did.

To say I was shocked would be a vast understatement. When I asked for the reasoning behind this decision, I only received innuendo and conjecture and no evidence of wrongdoing. The first untruth I was told was that I forced my little to watch Star Wars with me against his wishes which could not be farther from the truth. During our early conversations I asked my little if he liked Star Wars and was told yes but he’d never seen the films. I asked him if he wanted to watch them with me and he excitedly said he was interested in doing so. His mother was aware of my little’s desire and was on board initially for this activity until she requested that we move on to something more intellectual which we did for Black History Month.

The second untruth I was told was that I refused to have my little visit my residence which is something never said by me. During my second call today (Monday July 26, 2021) the case worker claimed this statement was in her notes and when I denied ever saying it she refused to admit she could be in error. To be clear, I would be happy to have my little visit my home when the time is right but since we’ve only met in person twice it would be better to have activities outside the home for the time being.

During these two recent phone calls I was also advised I was not eligible to be placed with another little since “BBBS is not accepting new applications at this time”. I am not a new applicant, I’ve been completely vetted, completed the background check protocols and it’s my feeling no good reason has been provided to end this relationship with my little or prevent me from giving my time and energy to help another young boy in need of a strong male role model he can look up to and spend time with. Quite the opposite, two lies which never occurred were used to justify ending my relationship with the program and when I advised the case worker she was in error she wouldn’t even listen to what I had to say.

I’ve already begun the process of securing a new opportunity to be a mentor to another young person in need of a strong male role model but I wanted the world to be aware of the horrible way I was treated by this organization, the opportunity that was taken from my little and from me and how disappointed I am by my overall experience with Big Brother and Big Sisters. I will be sure to share my experience with this organization far and wide for the rest of my days.

I am a Big and have been matched with my little for over 2 years. She has brought so much to our partnership and has taught me much about life. We enjoy learning from each other and I look forward to the time we spend together. This organization strives to introduce youth to mentors who can be a positive influence in their life. From organized group activities to one-on-one time together I have nothing but positive words about BBBS.

I've been a big and my personal experience with my "little" continues to be a great one which has been very rewarding for both of our families. But the disappointing data and troublesome trends for BBBS of SEPA are unfortunately not surprising. In my experience, the organization overreaches on what I assume is most donors expectations: Matching 'littles' with 'bigs' and providing the necessary oversight to protect all involved. It's not understandable how a CEO here could justify a salary of well over $300K for this organization. That there are many volunteers overseeing bigger responsibilities in apparently, a far more efficient manner.

Great organization. I am a Big Brother. They did an excellent job of matching me with the perfect Little Brother. We have monthly check-ins with a match support specialist who gives us advice. There are also great activities for us to participate in -- the agency has tickets and discounts for many events. The agency is well run and I've enjoyed my time as a volunteer. (I am also a Board Member, but I'm writing this review about my experience as a volunteer.)

I was divorced and, at the suggestion of a friend, got my daughter and son into the program some twenty plus years ago. Both mentors were wonderful for and to my children, but it was my son's relationship with his "Big Brother", Xico that took on a life of it's own. Xico is from Mexico and Joel was exposed to Mexican traditions and norms, which I thought was such a plus, but that's just a small part of Xico's influence. He impressed upon Joel and insisted that Joel strive to be a better person from behaving at home and school, improving and knowing the importance of good grades necessary for college and supported and attended Joel's sporting events and, when Joel entered college, Xico secured a scholarship from BB for him. When Xico married, Joel was welcomed into that extended family and through the years Joel saw what a good, strong marriage could be and wants his marriage to be that and I'm so grateful. I believe, in my heart, that Joel is the wonderful, confident person he is today in large part because Xico entered his life and is still in it. I can't tell you how many people I've told about the wonderful (and for me, life saving) experience Big Brothers/Big Sisters was.

I wish more people could experience attending an annual Big Brothers Big Sisters award dinner and hear from the Little Brother and Little Sister of the Year about how much they enjoyed the program. Listening to the comments from the Big Brothers and Big Sisters of the year really make you aware of how important this program can be in your community for your children.

Having been a Big Sister for over six years, I can truly say that this is a most valuable program for our country. While attending the high school graduation of my Little Sister, I read her positive comments in her yearbook regarding having a Big Sister.

I became a Big SIster when I was 37 years old, after seeing an article in a local newspaper. I've made lifelong friends from attending the various events with my Little Sister, which were held by the Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Lehigh Valley organization and were of great importance to my Little Sister in many ways: meeting new people, experiencing new places, etc.

Needless to say, if I won the lottery, I would definitely give a big chunk of it to Big Brothers Big Sisters!

Big Brothers Big Sisters is the leading nonprofit in the mentoring field. They offer quality, professional support to their matches and have proven results. The staff believes in what they do and their passion translates into a great experience for volunteers, children, and their families.

Big Brothers Big Sisters has been a tremendous resource for children who need someone to be a consistent, positive role model in their lives. I've seen three girls grow their confidence, education and social abilities thanks to Big Brothers Big Sisters.

This organization brings out the light in children through adults who care enough to say "You can do it." I was matched May of 2007. The program, Native American Scholars, was brand new at BBBS of the Sioux Empire, and created to increase graduation rates among Native students. I felt the program called to me; being Native myself, and struggled through most of life, I could see easily how mentoring could make a difference in a child's life. My Little, Tiffany, has just turned 14, and was quite the firecracker. We had a lot of rough starts; she was from an impoverished and broken family, with minimal hope of overcoming heavy obstacles. If she made it to 12th grade - heck, if she made it to 10th grade - it would be a means to celebrate. To say it bluntly, I had no clue how I was going to help this kid. I had been a troubled youth myself, but under totally different circumstances. Still, four years later, I look back on our time together and she has out-distanced every expectation placed upon her. She'll graduate in 19 days (yes, we're on a daily count-down). She'll be 18 in just over a week. To say that I'm proud of her is putting it mildly; she's watched her friends drop out of school, or get pregnant, or go to jail. More than one has committed suicide. She's gone through juvenile detention, rape crisis, counseling... And yet she'll walk across the stage at her graduation as one of the few high school graduates and the only college matriculator in her immediate family (she'll attend Dakota State University beginning this summer!!!!!). She's made it. She'll tell you she never would have made it this far without me, but that's not true. She always had it in her. If I've done anything, it's that I've pointed out the obvious and been the broken record: "You can do it." My job in all this has been pretty easy. It's Tiffany who has shined. If all a kid needs to hear in life to accomplish goals is "You can do it," then I see no reason why more volunteers can't come forth to help a child realize his or her potential. Big Brothers Big Sisters was the catalyst that connected Tiffany and me together for life. They provided realistic advice that kept our relationship functioning, even through the bad times, and offered valuable resources (counseling, school supplies, test fees, etc.) to Tiffany when her guardians or I were unable. I am thankful for the opportunity they provided.

I became a Little Sister in the program at age 7 in 1985. Having a Big Sister changed my life. Being a child of a single mother struggling to make a living, times were rough. It was hard to concentrate on school when you were worried about what and if you would eat that evening. I was a C student at best and never had any hope of going to college. I was told I was not a good enough student and I defenitley wasn't rich enough to pay for college. My Big Sister gave me the self confidence I needed to succeed and told me I could do anything I put my mind to. Thanks to her I have met many of my goals. Because of my own childhood experience I decided to become a Big Sister myself, hoping to have a positive impact on another child's life. Happily my time as a Big has been just as rewarding, if not more so, than my time was as a Little.

Big Brothers Big Sisters is a wonderful organization and it was my first introduction into the non-profit world. My first experience with a BBBS agency was as a child, my little sister was given a community based "Big Sister" who was always there for her, she introduced her to new things in the community , encouraged her to do positive things, helped her with school work and many other things. Even though this was outside of her duties- my sisters "Big Sister" would sometimes help my family financially. I somewhat forgot about the agency for years after that relationship was established, but as a newly graduated high school senior in 2001, I received my first "real job" at my local BBBS in Gainesville, Fl. I was intake staff, so I was the first line of contact for potential Bigs, Littles, Parents, board members and other community members. Although it was only supposed to be a summer job, I was hired permanently and spent a 7 year career with the agency. I was able to gain knowledge, my professionalism, a look into how the non-profit world works and I was able to see the positive impact that many of the "Bigs" had on their "Littles" and their families. I remember stories from parents of their greatfulness to BBBS for placing their child with such a positive role-model. The Littles often drew pictures of their bigs or told me great things about how happy they were to have their "Big." People don't realize how important it is to just be there for a child who may not have that positive adult figure in their life, they don't realize that a child appreciates and remembers forever all of the new things they are introduced to and the opportunities that are available to them just because they had a "Big." I really valued my time and experiences while working for such a great organization. There alot more things I wish I could say but I will end by saying that Big Brothers Big Sisters is a true asset to the community and our children. I will always be an advocate for this agency and if there's anything someone should remember about this agency, it is this little phrase: Little Moments DO create Big Magic!

I have just been matched with my second Little Brother. My first match lasted 4.5 years and was so much fun I decided to do it again. I really love the fact that I can use mentoring my Little as an excuse when I go out to have fun.

As a former recrutier for BBBS, I had the priviledge of seeing the magic that happens when a caring adult is willing to give a few hours a week to a child who just needs someone in their life to befriend them. Each match provides an opportunity for a life changing relationship! Thanks to each and everyone of you, past, present and future Big Brothers and Big Sisters!

I was a little sister from 1997 to 2006, and my big sister, Carol, taught me a great deal about life and inspired me to further my education beyond that of my family members. Through Big Brothers Bis Sisters I meet someone that would change my life for the better,a nd for that I am very thankful. When Carol came into my life I was the second oldest of five children and my mother had just married into a second abusive relationship. Carol was with me through thick and thin, I often saw her home as a safe haven. Carol gave be great advice on taking responsibility for my life and doing things that would make me a better person. Through Carol’s encouragement I became the first in my family to receive my bachelors’ degree in May 2010. I am also now the first in my family to continue on into Graduate Studies. Carol made a big difference in the person I am today and how I see my life choices playing out. Carol is still active in my life and we are still close friends. She became my second mother. Through Carol I was able to find scholarships and other support systems to pay for college. Due to her positive influence I have decided to become a School Counselor and help students just as she helped me. Once I am finished with school I do plan on becoming an active mentor in Big Brothers Big Sisters.

I have been a Big Sister for nearly 10 years with the same match. Yesterday, she turned 17. We have one more year to be a "match" but we plan on being "sisters" forever. She even talks about being a big & things she wants to do with her little. Even about doing 3-generation stuff once in a while.
People always talk about what a blessing being a big is for the little. But, I have found that being a big is a huge blessing for me as well. I look forward to my time with my little. Even when we don't have big plans & we just watch a movie and talk I am just happy to be with her. Just seeing her lifts my spirits every time.

Bigs had a major influence on school life. More than three-quarters of grown Littles surveyed did better in school because of their Big, two-thirds agree that their Big helped them reach a higher level of education than they thought possibl...e, and half agree that their Big kept them from dropping out of high school…many alumni LIttles have achieved higher levels of education than their parents…and most went on to earn their four-year college degree or more. "Adult Little Research, Harris Interactive, March-April 2009"

Big Brothers Big Sisters had the ability to make a huge impact on the youth in our counry....and they do it everyday! Thank you to BBBS for all you do for children.

I have been matched with my little for 6 months now. It has been a very rewarding program. My little and I enjoy many activities. Including bowling, playing board games, talking, watching movies and much more. One of the most amazing things about the program is how accurate the matching is. She is an absolute delight and a perfect match for me!

I have been a big sis for a couple months now. My little sis has the biggest heart, but she was struggling with her shyness. She wasn't participating in school or activities. She loves to sing and dance, so I have been taking her to some hip hop dance classes for some of our outings. She would barely talk the 1st week in class, but has continued to grow confidence these past 2 months. Yesterday she sang an incredible solo for the entire class and teachers! I was so proud of her! She has also started participating in school, and she even won a contest for answering multiplication questions 1st. I have seen her start to grow into a confident and caring young girl in just 2 months! It's an amazing experience to be a part of!

Big Brothers Big Sisters is an exceptional organization. My son's father left when my son was only 2 and as my son got older he really needed a strong male role model in his life. When he was 9, I found out about Big Brothers and applied. He got the best big brother ever. His Big Brother would spend time with him every other weekend doing anything from hiking, biking, camping, surfing, volunteering at soup kitchens, going to amusement parks, etc. Over the years he was always there for him. He gave him the advice and guidance that he really needed from a strong role model. He was always there for him 24/7 no matter what he needed to talk about. He showed up at father/son events with him. He really boosted my son's self esteem and helped turn him into a responsible, loving, compassionate young adult. I am forever greatful to this organization.

I had long wanted to be a "Big" with Big Brothers Big Sisters; however, I felt that my lifestyle of moving around every few years would not be conducive to the kind of commitment I wanted to give to a child. Thus, when I finally settled down 3 years ago, I made the call to the local chapter.
I have thoroughly enjoyed mentoring my Little, who was 8 at the time of our pairing. She is now 11. My plan, so long as I am in the area, is to stick by her side through high school (and beyond if she wishes). If I should ever have to move out of the area, my plan would be to maintain contact.
I have enjoyed getting to know a young girl who had lost her mother. I have enjoyed seeing her grow into the young lady she is today. The activities we do each week vary. We've read books together, played games and done puzzles. We've gone out to the park or the lake. We've simply walked the dog. We've been to the Humane Society often to volunteer by playing with thecats and walking their dogs. Mostly though, it's been about building a trusting relationship and allowing my Little to have a chance to have a female someone to turn to and ask questions. I know that the questions are going to get increasingly harder and likely more personal. I also know that I am making a difference in the life of a child. I take that responsibility very seriously. That's why I plan to stick with her through graduation.

I first became involved in our local Big Brothers Big Sisters program in Homer, Alaska as a volunteer member of their Advisory Council. I assisted with the monthly newsletter and organizing monthly group activities for Bigs & Littles. I also helped with their annual fund raising campaigns. It was very rewarding to hear the laughter of the adults and kids during the group activities and bowling tournaments and it only took four hours or less a month of my time. I am now lucky enough to work for our local program. On my wall I have pictures of all of our current matches - kids and adults with huge smiles. When new Littles enroll in our program, they immediately gravitate to that wall of pictures. BBBS does not charge for its services and all of our Bigs are volunteers. Each BBBS program is supported through state and federal grants, and also by their local communities. So many of the businesses and individuals in our little town have donated graciously to keep our program up and running - either donating money, services or materials such as office supplies or equipment. Our budget is as small as our office - but we make it work due to all the great volunteers and community support. It costs about $2000 to match one child and maintain their match each year. Every little donation helps! We have been able to match more than 200 Bigs & Littles in our own small community and average now about 40 current (open) matches a year. It is a great program to support and the rewards last lifetimes.