As a volunteer, Stephanie Brooks loves the rewarding experience of helping others and forming strong bonds and relationships with individuals in her local community. One of the most memorable ways she has created these relationships is through Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.

History of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America

In 1904, a New York City court clerk named Ernest Coulter noticed that more and more young boys were coming through his courtroom. Like the founders of the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, he realized that caring adults could help and show support for these kids to keep them out of trouble. Coulter set out to find volunteers, beginning the movement for Big Brothers.

Around the same time, a group called the Ladies of Charity had been befriending and supporting young girls who had come through the New York Children’s Court. This group would be known as the Catholic Big Sisters.

Both of these supportive groups worked independently until 1977 when they finally joined forces to become Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.

Today, over 100 years later, Big Brothers Big Sisters remains true to its founding vision of bringing caring and supportive role models into the lives of young children. Currently, BBBS operates in all 50 states and in 12 countries worldwide.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of America Program

BBBS offers a unique program of one-on-one mentoring for young children to help them grow and develop and build long lasting, impactful relationships. Volunteers (Bigs) like Stephanie Brooks are matched up with Littles based on their location, personalities, and personal preferences. From there, the Big and Little will meet up for a few hours every month to spend time doing small activities they can both enjoy. These activities might include:

• Reading Books
• Visiting a Museum
• Playing Ball in the Park
• Going to the Movies
• Offering Advice and Motivation