Bigs

Big Brothers Big Sisters is the country’s largest evidence-based mentoring organization. We are committed to continuously evaluating and improving the quality of the services we provide to youth. We evaluate our programming at the match level, agency level, and national level. Our annual impact report provides an overview of our outcomes evaluation system, tools, and the most recent national data and trends.

Learn more about our impact in the BBBSA Annual Impact Report.

It's FREE! Our program is available at no cost to our Bigs and Littles. We are 100% funded by grants, donations, and fundraisers. 

If you would like help fund the path to a brighter future, there is no gift too Big or too Little!

Bigs are volunteers in the community who have been vetted by BBBSIC staff through extensive interviews, reference checks, criminal background checks, and BBBS pre-match training. Bigs are then matched with a Little based on shared interests, skills, and needs. 

Littles: ages 6-16 (Littles can continue after being matched till their 18th birthday) living in Island County. 

Bigs: For the community-based program, Bigs must be at least 19 years-old and living or working in Island County. For site-based, High School students are eligible to enroll as Bigs.

Littles and Bigs must be able to commit to at least 1 year (12 months) beginning on the date they are matched.

Site-based matches will meet once a week while school is in session. Match meeting will last approximately 1 hour. Site-based Bigs must be available during school lunches or immediately after the end of the school day. 

*Per school policies, proof of COVID-19 vaccination may also be required of volunteers in the site-based program. Virtual meetings may be arranged to accommodate those who are not vaccinated.

Community-based matches will meet 2-4 times per month for 2-4 hours each meeting.

Littles: Head over to our enrollment page or sign up for an orientation call to get started! In order to find the right Big for you, we will need to get to know the youth(s) and parent/guardian(s) . You will complete an application and interview with one of our Match Coordinators. Interviews are approximately 1 hour per youth and 1 hour with the parent/guardian. 

Bigs: Head over to our enrollment page or sign up for an orientation call to get started! Once we determine what program is best suited, you will complete an application and interview. Interviews are typically 1.5 hours long. Next, we will perform background and reference checks. Child safety is our number 1 priority! 

The enrollment process can take up to 2 months to complete, depending on your availability and response times.

We make every effort to keep Littles' wait times as short as possible. However, we are always in need of more volunteers. 

We make our matches based on shared interests, personalities, preferences, and capabilities. We strive to make the strongest matches that we can that will benefit both the Big and Little. This sometimes means waiting for the right person to come along! 

Please note that due to COVID-19, wait times may be longer than normal. 

If you would like an update on your enrollment status, please do not hesitate to reach out to us!

Are you a good friend? If you are, you will also be a good mentor! 

Mentorship in our program doesn't come in a single size, and we aren't looking for perfect people. (Spoiler alert: there aren't any!) Our Bigs come from diverse backgrounds just like our Littles. They are regular people, just like you. You don’t need any special degrees or job skills. You just have to want to positively impact a young person. We are looking for safe, caring, dependable folks with real life experience to share. Your life experience might just be what a Little desperately needs. 

Find something you both love to do or try something new together! The options are limitless! Check out our Match Activity Resources for ideas! 

We also host agency Match Activities once a month. Check in with your Match Coordinator for more details and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for updates!

Of course! We understand that not everyone can make the time commitment to be a Big. We are always in need of volunteers for our fundraising events and community outreach. If you would like to be added to our volunteer list, contact us here! or check out our upcoming opportunities at https://signup.com/group/1226999354622174015

 Our commitment to privacy extends to the information captured during participation in our program, including text messages received. We want to reassure you that none of this information will be shared with any outside party for any reason. Specifically, no mobile information will be shared with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes. It's important to note that this assurance encompasses all categories of data, except for text messaging originator opt-in data and consent. Rest assured, this particular information will also remain confidential and will not be shared with any third parties. 

Please reach out to us directly at 360-243-5284 for more information including opt-out options.