ABOUT US
ACCESS
We provide access to positive mentorship for every young person who needs us. No matter their background, experiences, circumstances, or needs, we are committed to ensuring every young person has a positive mentor.
We meet young people where they are.
Recognizing and valuing who they are, where they live and how they connect, we create access to resources, people, and opportunities that meet young people where they are.
At Big Brothers Big Sisters of South-Central PA, we create and support one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth.
Our Vision
Our Mission
All youth achieve their full potential.
Service Area
Our Bigs (volunteer mentors), our Littles (youth) and our families come from all walks of life. What they have in common is a desire to be part of something BIG.
Empowering Potential
We believe that inherent in every child is incredible potential. BBBS of South-Central PA works to ignite, empower, and defend that potential through one-to-one mentorship.
Professional Match Coaching
Our enrollment, match, and program specialists communicate with parents, volunteers, and youth throughout the lifetime of the match, providing guidance, resources, training, activities, community referrals, and encouragement.
BIGGER TOGETHER
By partnering with parents/guardians, volunteers, schools, and others in the community, we are accountable for each child in our program achieving higher aspirations, greater confidence, educational success, and better relationships while avoiding risk-taking behaviors.
For many Littles, the time they spend with their Big is an opportunity to face challenges, build confidence, and strengthen resilience through a positive relationship.
A National Network
For 120 years, Big Brothers Big Sisters has operated under the belief that inherent in every child is the ability to succeed and thrive in life. As the nation’s largest donor and volunteer supported mentoring network, Big Brothers Big Sisters creates and supports meaningful matches between adult volunteers (“Bigs”) and youth (“Littles”), ages 7-17*, in communities across the country. We develop positive relationships that have a direct and lasting effect on young people.
BBBS of South-Central PA - Site-Based: Ages 5-17, Community-based: Ages 7-17. Once enrolled, youth are eligible to be supported through age 21.
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Community-based Programs:
Our best-known and most flexible program. Bigs and Littles meet 2 to 4 times a month and do things like catch a movie, make dinner, play basketball, or visit the library. Bigs and Littles decide when they meet and what they’ll do.
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Services
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Specialized Programs:
Customized volunteer opportunities for high school students, college students, law enforcement professionals, and businesses.
BEING BIG
Big Brothers Big Sisters of South-Central PA is committed to ensuring that every young person has access to a positive mentor, that transforms their lives for the better – empowering them with a stronger sense of belonging and the opportunity to achieve their full potential.
BELONGING
We create a community that fosters connection.
When young people are a part of Big Brothers Big Sisters, they gain a supportive village and meaningful connections empowering them to reach their full potential.
We safeguard youth and cultivate the trust.
With the support of a caring mentor, youth feel a sense of belonging - connected to who they are, to what community represents, and to where they can go. We consider safety and well-being to be holistic, including emotional and physical safety, risk reduction, and safe relationships and environments—all core components of youth well-being.
OPPORTUNITY
We empower young people to learn, lead and grow.
Whether in a workplace, a school, or in the community, we empower young people through relationships that give them the confidence and skills to navigate life and thrive.
Trauma-Informed Care and Wrap-Around Services
Adverse COVID
Experiences:
housing instability, food insecurity, lack of access to technology, lack of access to primary health care, unemployment or unpaid leave, and higher rates of risk factors to contract COVID-19 as well as higher mortality rates due to chronic disease.
Adverse Community Environments:
poverty, discrimination, community disruption, lack of opportunity, substandard housing, and violence;
Adverse Childhood
Experiences:
abuse, neglect, mental illness, domestic violence, substance abuse, incarceration, domestic violence, divorce, and homelessness;
Trauma-Informed Care and Wrap-Around Services
Our trauma-informed care practices build long-term, stable relationships that help children successfully navigate the path to adulthood.
Mentoring helps to combat “ACEs”
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Mentors create Positive Childhood Experiences that help offset the impact of ACEs. Bigs expand their Littles’ worldview and introduce them to new experiences and opportunities.
BBBS of South-Central PA strives to be a strong community partner. We collaborate with school districts, local companies, police departments, legislators, local funders, county governments, parents/guardians, and students to create a network of community members focused on achieving success for the next generation.