Big Brothers Big Sisters of Coastal & Northern New Jersey

OUR MISSION
Create and support one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth.

OUR VISION
All youth achieve their full potential.

When a volunteer mentor ("BIG") is matched with a mentee ("LITTLE"), a relationship starts to form. As with all relationships, time builds a bond. Trust develops and the impact becomes more significant. A Little sees his or her Big as someone to talk to about problems and fears, goals and dreams. A person who introduces new experiences. A role model who has high expectations and believes they can be met.

We know mentoring changes lives. Our research shows that when a Little is matched with a Big, that young person is less likely to engage in risky behaviors like drug and alcohol use, and more likely to attend class and feel competent in school.

The BBBS one-to-one mentoring model has been studied and improved upon for decades, and as a result, Big Brothers Big Sisters continues to be the gold standard of mentoring. BBBSCNNJ mentoring program has positively impacted thousands of lives.

For 45 years, our model has been to match one youth with one adult volunteer in a long-term mentoring relationship.

In all of our programs, Bigs are carefully screened by trained staff and thoughtfully matched with Littles.

In our Community Based Mentoring Program, Bigs and Littles do activities in the community. They might attend a sporting event, grab pizza, do an art project, or visit a museum.

In our School Based Mentoring Program, Bigs and Littles meet at the Little’s school or in another structured environment. They might play on the playground, do homework, shoot baskets, or read a book together.

In our Workplace Mentoring Program, a company offers its employees the chance to be matched in one-to-one mentoring relationships and to participate in mentoring activities at the workplace during work hours. The Littles get the benefits of mentoring and exposure to a professional setting, the Bigs get the convenience of mentoring during work hours, and the company encourages and supports employee volunteerism, which is shown to lead to increased employee satisfaction and retention.

Back on Track Mentoring Program is a positive alternative for youth that have committed a first-time minor offense. In lieu of being charged, the youth have the opportunity to commit to 6 months in a Diversion program and if completed successfully, their record will be cleared. This program was created in 2018 in partnership with the Monmouth County Human Services Division.

In our College Mentoring Program, students from a local college volunteer to mentor high school students who come from a disadvantaged area. The younger students meet with their mentors on campus. The program exposes the students to the college experience and they explore majors, learn about the enrollment process, and are given the tools to pursue their dreams through education.

Our C.A.R.E.S Program (Creating Access to Resources, Events, and Support) was developed for all youth enrolled in BBBSCNNJ as a way to address needs and provide benefits that go beyond mentoring. Through this initiative, BBBSCNNJ staff helps connect the families we serve to resources for needs such as home and food security, clothing, mental healthcare, tutoring, camp scholarships, school supplies, groceries, and gifts during the holidays.

While all BBBS services are free to families, there is a cost associated with our professionally supported matches. This includes interviewing the volunteer, checking references, enrolling the Little, creating an optimal match based on personality and interests, and supporting the match by connecting with the Little, the Big, and the parent on a consistent basis to offer ideas to strengthen the relationship and troubleshoot problems. Funding must cover not only the matching process, but also volunteer recruitment, local office administration, youth outcomes analysis, and volunteer and staff training.

Over 8,130 youth served since we started in 1976

35 months is the average match length in a Community Based relationship

Locally, our 2020 Outcomes Report was compiled from completed Youth Outcomes Surveys (YOS) given to our Littles and shows the positive impact of their friendship with their BIG:

--96% were competent in avoiding risking behaviors like tobacco, drugs, and alcohol use
--95% were competent in avoiding peer violence
--98% reported that they had not been arrested for a crime, offense, or violation
--85% improved or stayed the same in their feelings of scholastic competency
--92% felt confident in their social acceptance
--87% maintained or had improvement in the relationship with their parent(s)
--93% maintained or improved their grades in school
--95% believe they will graduate high school
--92% believe that they will go onto and graduate from college
--80% improved or stayed the same in their school attendance