Big Brothers Big Sisters in Our Community
In Central New York, P.E.A.C.E., Inc. Big Brothers Big Sisters has been matching children with mentors since 1980. That first year, 8 children were matched with a Big Brother or Sister, and we’ve been growing ever since. We really STARTED SOMETHING!
Big Brothers Big Sisters has been helping change kids’ perspectives and giving them the opportunity to reach their potential for over a century. And we have over a century of volunteers, donors, and advocates who have helped make that happen.
It all started in 1904, when a young New York City court clerk named Ernest Coulter was seeing more and more boys come through his courtroom. He recognized that caring adults could help many of these kids stay out of trouble, and he set out to find volunteers. That marked the beginning of the Big Brother movement.
At around the same time, the members of a group called Ladies of Charity were befriending girls who had come through the New York Children’s Court. That group would later become Catholic Big Sisters.
Both groups continued to work independently until 1977, when Big Brothers Association and Big Sisters International joined forces and became Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.
More than 100 years later, Big Brothers Big Sisters remains true to our founders’ vision of bringing caring role models into the lives of children. Today, Big Brothers Big Sisters currently operates in all 50 states – and in 12 countries around the world.
Here in Central New York, our programs include:
Traditional, or community-based mentoring matches a child between the ages of 6-12 with an adult Big Brother or Sister for one-to-one relationship that provides friendship, builds trust, and can change a child’s perspective of the world and his or her future in it.
During 2010, CNY community-based Big Brothers and Big Sisters devoted 9,640 hours mentoring 144 Littles, making a difference in their lives and our community.
School-based mentors, college and high school students who mentor elementary Littles throughout the school year, are another important part of our local Big Brothers Big Sisters. During the 2009-2010 school year, 270 youth Big mentors served 236 school-based Littles in Onondaga and Oswego counties. These students gave 2,169.5 hours of their time in after-school programs, helping their Littles with homework, playing games, crafting, going on field trips, and much more!
If you'd like to know more about mentoring in one of our programs, call 470-3369 or email bbbs@peace-caa.org. We'd love to have you join us!
What if every child fulfilled their potential? Think of what that could start. Start more Littles in the right direction. Volunteer today!
