Big Brothers Big Sisters of Island County

Big Brothers Big Sisters of America

For more than a century, Big Brothers Big Sisters has helped children reach their potential through professionally supported relationship with proven results.

 

In 1904, 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 set out to find volunteers.  That marked the beginning of the Big Brothers movement.  By 1916, Big Brothers had spread to 96 cities across the country.

 

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 Big Sisters International.

 

Both groups continued to work independently until 1977, when Big Brothers of America and Big Sisters International joined forced and became Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.