To build relationships between role models and children in need of friendship and guidance enriched by professional support. It is our vision that every child that needs a Big Brother/Big Sister mentor will have one.

Description:
Big Brothers Big Sisters enlists responsible individuals to act as mentors, positive role models, and seeks to enhance the confidence, caring and competence of growing children in need of friendship and guidance, enriched by professional support. Volunteers are assigned to children as Big Brothers, Sisters, Couples, Families, or Lunch Buddies (school-based volunteers). Our goals are:
(1) To befriend the normal child from a single parent family because he/she is lonely and has no one to identify with, relate to or participate with in activities.
(2) To help children with problems who lack the influence of a mature and responsible adult to reach their highest physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual development.
(3) To prevent juvenile delinquency by providing guidance in sound character development to children who lack wholesome adult companionship or show a tendency toward delinquency.
(4) To provide an opportunity for adults to make a personal investment of themselves and their time with children from single parent homes and in need in their community.

History:
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Elkhart County has been in existence since 1972. After talking to the mayor, Juvenile Probation and many other youth-serving agencies, it was felt that a mentoring organization such as Big Brothers could benefit the many fatherless boys in Elkhart County. Providing these boys with a positive role model and guidance could prevent delinquent behavior. The Heart City Kiwanis gave the seed money to start the program and many other local organizations, businesses and individuals donated the necessary equipment and supplies for start up purposes. In 1974, Big Sisters was added. The local agency is a full member affiliate of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, which has been in existence since 1904. Big Brothers Big Sisters is the premier mentoring organization in the USA with more than 500 agencies in all 50 states. In order to maintain this affiliation, the agency is reviewed annually to assure that the national standards and guidelines are followed.

Contact people:

Tamara Maier, Chief Executive Officer, (phone), (email) Rhonda Cloud, Administrative Assistant, (phone), (email) Connie Stalhandske, Intake Coordinator, (phone), (email)

Office fax number: (574) 875-1039

Address:

59029 CR 13 Elkhart, IN 46517 (See a map)

Web Site: http://www.geocities.com/bbbs_elkhart

Directions:

We are located just North of the intersection of US 33 (Main Street) and County Road 13 in Dunlap.