Big Brothers Big Sisters of St. Joseph County partners with parents/guardians, volunteers, donors and others in the community and hold ourselves accountable for each child in our program achieving: Higher aspirations, greater confidence, better relationships, avoidance of risky behaviors, and educational success. Our Program Outcome evaluations show that the children enrolled in our Mentoring Programs make remarkable gains, particularly in their behavior and outlook. Here are some of the highlights of the outcomes achieved last year after the child was with their mentor for one year:

• 89% increased their self-confidence.
• 85% improved in their academic performance.
• 89% improved in their ability to express their feelings.
• 76% avoided delinquent behavior.

In the past 5 years we have seen a dramatic increase in the number of children who come to us for service while our resources have remained static or declined. While we have a passionate and dedicated staff and board of directors, we are small in numbers. It is a challenge to find the resources we need to weather the ups and down of the economy as well as grow to meet the increasing need. We need a more concentrated and effective branding/marketing effort in order to diversify and increase our volunteer and donor base. This will ensure that our mentoring programs remain viable today and for the long term.