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.

Our Vision is that all children achieve success in life.

We partner with guardians, volunteers, and others in the community and hold ourselves accountable for each child in our program achieving higher aspirations, greater confidence, better relationships, avoidance of risky behaviors, and educational success.

For more than 100 years, Big Brothers Big Sisters has operated under the belief that inherent in every child is the ability to succeed and thrive in life. As the nation’s largest donor and volunteer supported mentoring network, Big Brothers Big Sisters makes meaningful, monitored matches between adult volunteers, “Bigs” and children, “Littles”.  We develop positive relationships that have a direct and lasting effect on the lives of young people.

The Big Brothers Big Sisters experience doesn’t begin when we introduce an adult and child and hope that they become friends.  We get to know each party, we learn about their likes and dislikes, strengths and weaknesses, goals and aspirations, family, culture, and personality.

Before we make a match, we do our homework. Each potential Big goes through an extensive background check and careful interview process. We work behind the scene to ensure that we have done our best to make certain that the person we are bringing into this child’s life is safe, stable, committed, and willing to be a mentor. 

We match Bigs and Littles based on their housing locations, personalities and interests.  The Big Brothers Big Sisters experience doesn’t end there.  We pride ourselves in providing quality Match Support so that matches can grow into lasting, fruitful friendships.  We are in contact with each Big, Little, and their guardian at least once per month and are always available if anyone has questions, concerns, or problems.   Additionally, our Big Brothers Big Sisters program subscribes to a uniform set of standards and procedures. BBBS staff also receive ongoing training and consultation from the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.

We plan monthly group activities and keep the Matches informed of free and low-cost community events happening in their communities.  We provide on-going support and  individual trainings on topics relevant to each Match, make referrals to outside agencies for other services, and ensure that each Little and their family has an appropriate support system to meet their needs.  We provide the same level of care and attentiveness to our Matches as we expect our Bigs to give to their Littles.

Being a Big Brother or Big Sister is one of the most enjoyable things you’ll ever do. Not to mention, one of the most fulfilling. You have the opportunity to help shape a child’s future for the better by empowering him or her to achieve. And the best part is, it’s actually a lot of fun. You and your Little can share the kind of activities you already like to do.

Play sports together. Go on a hike. Visit a museum.  Eat a pizza with extra anchovies. Or just give some advice and inspiration. Whatever it is you enjoy, odds are you’ll enjoy it even more with your Little—and you’ll be making a life-changing difference for a local child.

Contact our office to learn more about our community based mentoring program.  Our friendly staff will answer your questions and explain the application process to you. If you think being a Big Brother or Big Sister is for you, then we will need to get to know you through subsequent interviews. This process helps us understand your interests, strengths, abilities, experiences with children, and comfort levels.  We use this information to determine which child you will have the greatest positive impact on.  It also gives you an opportunity to get to know us, our expectations, and an orientation to mentoring.

When it comes to the future of our children and the well-being of our communities, we’re all in this together. So it should come as no surprise that we need the parents and guardians of Littles to be involved every step of the way, starting with the application process.

Parent(s) or guardian(s) should contact our office to learn more about our community based mentoring program. A child can also be referred to us by school personnel or other social service agencies. Through interviews with the parent or guardian and the child, we will become acquainted with the child’s interests, strengths, to decide if they are appropriate for our services and if so, which of our volunteers will be most beneficial.  Children ages 6-15 years old living in Venango, Forest, or Clarion Counties are eligible to apply.

Big Brothers Big Sisters is an organization that cannot survive in a community that does not support and embrace it. The program truly relies on the kindness and generosity of the many volunteers, donors, and supporters.  There are lots of ways to get involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters. Whichever way you choose, you’ll be helping us make a positive impact on kids in your community. 

When you donate to Big Brothers Big Sisters, you join our cause and directly support children in your community. No matter how "little" or "big" the amount, donating can start making a difference in the lives of young people around you.

Your funding helps us provide our programs and services throughout Venango, Forest, and Clarion counties - in your local community.  Your financial support can help us to recruit new Big Brothers and Big Sisters, provide training materials and support for staff and volunteers,  enable ongoing supervision and Match support for every Big, Little and Little’s family,  and provide cultural and social activities to children who would otherwise miss the opportunity to participate.