Looking to get involved? Whether you’re interested in enrolling your child, donating, or stepping up as a Big, Big Brothers Big Sisters offers several types of programs in our community.
Big Brothers Big Sisters targets the children who need us most, including those living in single parent homes, growing up in poverty and coping with parental incarceration. Starting something begins with finding a great match between a Big and a Little. Making these matches, and performing all the background work involved with them, is possible because of donations from people like you. It’s also why we’re able to offer such a wide variety of youth mentoring programs that pair children, ages 6 to 14, with role models in one-to-one relationships.
Littles meet with their Bigs at their school, or in another facilitated setting. Whether it’s talking about homework, drawing or reading together, playing a board game, or shooting hoops in the gym, site-based Bigs have the opportunity to meet students where they are and provide guidance to help them reach their potential.
Mentoring takes place in the community rather than in a facilitated setting. Community-based mentoring relationships involve one-on-one outings and activities, doing things that both the Big and Little enjoy together. This might include things like taking a walk in the park, going to a museum, listening to music, attending an event hosted by the agency, or even just hanging out and talking.
Bigs in Blue is a one-to-one mentoring program that connects youth with police in communities throughout our nation, building strong, trusting, lasting relationships. As part of either the Community-Based or Site-Based program, these relationships can help build stronger bonds between law enforcement and the families they serve.
UTC Bigs is an organization on the campus of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga that provides students with an opportunity to positively impact the youth of our community through an affiliation with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Chattanooga, through either the Community-Based or Site-Based program.
Our Bigs come from diverse backgrounds just like our Littles. They are regular people, just like you. You don’t need any special degrees or job skills. You just have to want to positively impact a young person. Role models come in all shapes and sizes, and you could be a perfect fit.
Mentor a high school student at Tyner High School for 2 years as they complete a leadership class. Communicate weekly on an online platform and meet in person with the class and other mentors once a month.
This program is specifically designed to work with youth falling behind in reading. Bigs receive literacy-focused coaching and BBBS provides books and activities for mentors to review and read with Littles during weekly one-on-one meetings.
An opportunity for high school students to mentor a child during school hours. This program is perfect for K-12 schools, as Bigs can mentor younger students at their own school.
67% of former Littles surveyed agree that their Big played a role in their decision to attend college.
Start a college grad. 67% of former Littles surveyed agree that their Big played a role in their decision to attend college.
Before we make a match, we do our homework. After someone expresses an interest in becoming a Big, they go through an extensive background check and careful interview process. Then we match Bigs and Littles based on location, personalities and preferences. And we provide full support from the start, so matches can grow into lasting, fruitful friendships. It’s also important to note that the entire matching process is made possible through donations—we can’t do what we do best without them! What’s a Big and Little to do? Each match is unique. Getting together doesn’t require a special occasion or expensive activity—just a few hours every month doing things the Little and Big already enjoy.
✓ Playing catch
✓ Reading books
✓Getting ice cream
✓Going to a museum
✓Providing advice and inspiration
Jessica Whatley announces her resignation as CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Chattanooga, effective August 31st, 2024.
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My name is Enrique, and currently, I am the only Bilingual Match Support Specialist on the team. A personal reason behind applying for this job was to be able to connect with Hispanic families in our community, as I have recently moved to the Greater Chattanooga area. As part of my job, I regularly speak with families who trust us in working alongside them, their kids, and our volunteers. From the start, I noticed that even though there are only a handful of Hispanic families in our Community-Based program, all of them have been part of it for several years, which made me wonder what the reasons behind this were.
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Congratulations to the winners of our 29th Annual Bass Fishing Tournament! We had 8 matches join us for the competition, which was held on January 4th at Harrison Bay Park. The event was sponsored by local bass anglers Warren Behlau and Ed Ricklefs.
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