ABOUT
BBBS OF NYC

Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York City - The Power to Change Lives

The mission of Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York City (BBBS of NYC) is to provide mentors to all children who need caring adult role models special friends who can help expand their horizons, realize their potential and enrich their futures changing their lives. We seek to train community organizations in every neighborhood, empowering them to establish their own mentoring programs.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York City is one of the most recognized and respected youth mentoring organizations in the country. Through our proven one-to-one mentoring model, we strengthen the resiliency of the children in our programs, heightening their self-esteem, improving school performance, enhancing social and family relationships, and helping them avoid trouble with the law.

To learn more about how you can get involved, please call 212.686.2042 or visit http://www.bigsnyc.org/

BBBS of NYC offers three types of mentoring programs:

I. COMMUNITY & SPECIAL PRIORITY PROGRAMS

"Bigs" and "Littles" meet at least twice a month (usually on weekends) and spend time together planning and participating in activities of their choice, like exploring the city, playing basketball, and watching movies. The time commitment is eight hours per month, for one year.

• Traditional Mentoring
  BBBS of NYC’s largest program, serving young people ages 7-17 who are in need of adult mentors.
• Bronx and Queens Borough Partnership
  Youth who reside in underserved neighborhoods in the Bronx and Queens meet with their mentors to explore other communities, as well as their own.
• September 11th Initiatives
• * 9/11 Together We Stand
  In response to the tragic events of September 11th, BBBS of NYC initiated this program to provide long-term help for children who lost a parent or close relative in the World Trade Center attacks.
• * FDNY Partnership
  This program is for children and young people who lost a parent in the FDNY in the line of duty, including, but not limited to September 11th. Mentors are men and women who are active and retired fire fighters, those that work for the FDNY and relatives of individuals in the FDNY.
• New American Partnership
  These youth are first generation Americans facing the challenge of balancing two worlds: the culture of their family and country of origin, and the culture of their school, peers and New York City.
• Young Mothers
  This program is for pregnant teens and teenage mothers in need of a friend. The mentors in this program are all female and assist with access to information and resources available for these young mothers.
• Incredible Kids
  Powerful friendships are formed between mentors and the low-income children in this program who have learning or physical disabilities or chronic illnesses. IKP Children may be physically challenged or attending special education classes.
• East New York Family Care and Mentoring Center
  The East New York office concentrates on foster care prevention, working with youth from unstable households who are at-risk of being taken out of the home and placed in foster care. The program’s goal is to support the young people and their families.

II. SITE-BASED PROGRAMS

Young people and mentors in these programs meet regularly at designated times and specific locations during the school year. Supervised by an on-site social worker, one-to-one mentoring is enhanced with occasional group activities.

• School-Based
  Bigs and Littles meet regularly during lunchtime at school to help with homework or simply talk through concerns and challenges.
• Workplace Mentoring
  Youth are invited to corporate offices where they are mentored by working professionals while gaining exposure to the corporate world.
• School-Based Corporate Partnerships
  A combination of the above two programs, working professionals from specific corporations visit youth at their school for one-to-one mentoring time.

III. SPECIAL POPULATIONS PROGRAMS

These specialized programs serve at-risk young people who have specific mentoring needs.

• Juvenile Justice
  First-time youth offenders are matched with mentors to help inspire positive changes.
• Children of Incarcerated Parents
  Children ages 5 to 15 whose parent(s) are currently incarcerated are mentored in this preventive program.
• Building Futures
  Teens, ages 13-18, who are transitioning out of NYC's foster care system need committed and consistent adult role models. This program matches them with mentors who provide emotional support as they strive for brighter futures.