Big Brothers Big Sisters

1. Big Brothers Big Sisters Kelsey Shreve Introduction!

2. Changing Perspectives. Changing Lives • The Big Brothers Big Sisters Missionis to help children reach their potential through one-to-one relationships with mentors that have a measurable impact on youth. • The Big Brothers Big Sisters Visionis successful mentoring relationships for all children who need and want them, contributing to brighter futures, better schools, and stronger communities for all.

3. Big Brothers Big Sisters serves the children who need us most, including those living in single parent homes, growing up in poverty and coping with parental incarceration. Starting something begins with finding a great match between a Big and a Little. Making these matches, and performing all the background work involved with them, is possible because of donations from people like you. It's also why we're able to offer such a wide variety of programs that pair children, ages 6 through 18, with role models in one-to-one relationships.

4. How it all comes together! Big Brothers Big Sisters partners with individual donors, foundations, corporations, governments, and others to build the critical network of support that funds and enables the work of carefully matching children with caring adult mentors and providing ongoing support to the child, volunteer mentor and child’s family. Professionally trained Big Brothers Big Sisters staff members work with our partners in the education and juvenile justice communities to find children facing adversity and assess how our programs can have the greatest impact. Big Brothers Big Sisters serves the children who need us most, including those living in single parent homes, growing up in poverty and coping with parental incarceration.

5. How to become a Big or a Little! Before we make a match, we do our homework. After someone expresses an interest in becoming a Big, they go through a background check and careful interview process. Then we match Bigs and Littles based on location, personalities and preferences. And we provide full support from the start, so matches can grow into lasting, impactful friendships. The entire matching process is made possible through donations—we can’t do what we do best without them!

6. What to do as a Big! Each match is unique. Getting together doesn’t require a special occasion or expensive activity—just a few hours every month doing things the Little and Big already enjoy. For example: • Playing catch • Reading books • Going to a museum • Providing advice and inspiration • Some Bigs meet their Littles on the weekends. Others get together with their Littles in the evenings. Each match develops a schedule that works for them

7. Core Programs • Community-Based Mentoring • School-Based Mentoring   Special Programs • African-American Mentoring • Hispanic Mentoring • Amachi Program  • Sports Mentoring

8. Enrolling your child! A study for Big Brothers Big Sisters found that kids matched with a Big Brother or Big Sister: • are more confident • are more likely to steer clear of drugs and alcohol • do better in school • get along better with their family and friends • feel better about themselves • For more information about enrolling a child, please contact Vivian Gwinn, Amachi Program Director and Customer Relations Coordinator, at vgwinn@bbbsetn.org or 865-243-8093.

9. What to do! • Just fill out our simple online application. After you complete it, a Big Brothers Big Sisters staff member will contact you shortly. You'll need to: • provide references • participate in an in-person interview • go through a background check • For more information about being a Big, please contact Vivian Gwinn, Amachi Program Director and Customer Relations Coordinator, at vgwinn@bbbsetn.org or 865-243-8093

10. Big Brothers Big Sisters