Our Mission

To help children reach their potential through professionally supported, one-to-one mentoring relationships with measurable impact.

Our Vision

Successful mentoring relationships for all children who need and want them, contributing to brighter futures, better schools, and stronger communities for all.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Pinellas County, Inc.
serving Pinellas, Hernando and Citrus Counties

Big Brothers Big Sisters is a volunteer organization that provides children support, guidance, friendship and fun by matching them to adult role models.  Founded in 1967, we now celebrate 40 years of service through enriching, encouraging and empowering children to reach their highest potential through safe, positive one-to-one mentoring relationships.  We strive to successfully serve this mission through a professional staff that carefully works with both the volunteers and children to ensure that the experience of Big Brothers Big Sisters is one that is dynamic, fulfilling, memorable and fun for both the child and the volunteer.

Our Service Area

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Pinellas County, Inc. provides services Citrus, Hernando and Pinellas Counties.  In addition to being established in Pinellas County in 1967, we  began providing our services in Hernando County in 1996, and in Citrus County in 2005.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of America

For over a century, Big Brothers and Big Sisters have helped children reach their potential through professionally supported one-to-one relationships with proven results.

In 1904, a young New York City court clerk named Ernest Coulter was seeing more and more boys come through his courtroom. He recognized that caring adults could help many of these kids stay out of trouble, and he set out to find volunteers. That marked the beginning of the Big Brothers movement. By 1916, Big Brothers had spread to 96 cities across the country.

At around the same time, the members of a group called Ladies of Charity were befriending girls who had come through the New York Children’s Court. That group would later become Catholic Big Sisters.

Both groups continued to work independently until 1977, when Big Brothers of America and Big Sisters International joined forces and became Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.

More than a century later, Big Brothers Big Sisters remains true to our founders’ vision of bringing caring mentors into the lives of children.  Our focus is on prevention and keeping children out of the Juvenile Justice System - and over 10 years of local trend data demonstrates our success: 95% of our children who have been matched at least one year have not had an encounter with the Juvenile Justice system. 

Big Brothers Big Sisters currently operates in all 50 states … and in 35 countries around the world!

Read more about Big Brothers Big Sisters history »