“There’s a big need out there for all of us.  A big need for us to help out in the community.  If we don’t, it’s tragedy all over.”

– Big Brother James

 

History and Background

 

In 1904 a young New York City court clerk named Ernest Coulter began seeing the same troubled boys show up in his courtroom over and over again.  He realized that none of these children had a stable, caring adult in their lives.  He wondered if responsible volunteers from the community could help these kids stay out of trouble. 

He didn’t realize he was starting a movement.  But by 1912, there were “Big Brothers” volunteering in 26 cities.  By 1916, Big Brothers had spread to 96 cities around the country.  

A group called the Ladies of Charity was equally concerned about troubled girls, and its members tried to befriend the girls who came through the New York Children’s Court.  This, too, began a chain reaction, and the group eventually became a nationwide organization called “Catholic Big Sisters.” 

In 1977 the two groups formally merged, becoming Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.  Today we operate in all 50 states – and in 35 countries around the world.

 

In the Bay area

Three local BBBS affiliates have been serving children in the Bay Area since 1958. In 2005, these three agencies (BBBS of San Francisco & the Peninsula, BBBS of the East Bay, and BBBS of Santa Clara County) with the strong support of our National Association, began the planning process to consolidate into a single unified agency. The goal was to build a vibrant, sustainable organization capable of serving a much greater segment of the population. In March 2006, this consolidation became official, and Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Bay Area was formed. Richard Miles, a business consultant and entrepreneur, was made CEO and charged with bringing the energy and drive of a for-profit company to the new agency – without losing its focus on kids.

Miles, himself a “Little Brother” who after more than 40 years is still close to his “Big Brother” Karl, embraced the challenge. He devised an ambitious 5-year plan and set the agency on a new course.

 

Our Plan

Our 5-year plan sets a goal of serving 5,000 children annually, in the Bay Area by 2010. In 2007, we have made significant progress towards this goal – serving almost 1,000 children so far this fiscal year. We have functionalized roles, hired and trained additional staff, and are focusing on service delivery as an improvable metric. Over the past fiscal year, we have:

• Increased staff by 38%, while doubling the number of new matches made in 2006 over 2005. At the same time, the number of matches ending decreased by 52%, netting a tremendous overall performance improvement that far exceeded expectations.
• Improved sustainability with the hiring of a Chief Executive Officer in December of 2005, and the creation of a Development Department, now with three full-time staff members.
• Expanded our site and school-based programs to all five Bay Area counties; three new program sites opened this past year and three more being developed.

Our mission is to help children reach their potential through professionally supported one-to-one relationships with proven results. Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Bay Area’s vision is to provide a caring adult mentor to every child in need across all five Bay Area counties. We are uncompromisingly committed to sustainable growth and excellence in service delivery.

We currently serve children in San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Contra Costa and Alameda Counties. Over 85% of children currently enrolled in our programs qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and over 70% of the families qualify for some type of public assistance. Many children who participate in our mentoring programs show symptoms associated with low income and living in distressed areas, including: juvenile crime and gang activity, low academic performance, and low self-esteem. Without intervention, many are unlikely to graduate high school.

 

We intend to be there for every one of them.

The Need in the Bay Area

The 2008 California budget calls for $540 million to incarcerate kids ..learn more»