BE A BIG

Bigs and Littles get together 3-4 times a month, and on average spend 2-3 hours together each time they meet up.

Once you are matched with your Little, your Match Support Specialist will be in regular contact with you to provide assistance and give feedback. Anytime you are unsure about what to do or how to handle a situation, your Match Support Specialist is here to help. They’ll help you with ideas for activities, guidance for handling possible difficult situations, and feedback on how you are making a difference.

Parents that enroll their children in the BBBS program want the very best for their children. They see the benefits of introducing another caring adult role model in the life of their child. Many say that their children’s Bigs are able to talk to them about issues that are just difficult for a parent to address. That is why parents often say introducing a Big into their child’s life has not only changed their son/daughter’s life but it’s impacted the entire family. BBBS St. Joe only enrolls children who want and need the program and whose parents specifically want them to be in the program, so 100% of the children enrolled are ready and excited about being matched.

This is what is really unique and great about BBBS St. Joe. We don’t just select the next child on our list and match them with a Big. Each Big and Little are matched based on compatibility and proximity to each other; but ultimately, Bigs and Littles choose each other. Match support specialists get to know each Big, parent and child that enrolls in the program. They get to know their interests, hobbies, what they are looking for in a Match, and much more. This is crucial because once a volunteer is accepted into the program, a match support specialist will begin searching for a few Littles that they think would make a good Match. They will then send a profile of a Little that they believe is a great match for you, and from there you ultimately decide if you think they will be the best fit

Anything you like! Activities are up to each Match to schedule and participate in on their own time. You don’t have to spend a lot of money — it’s about the time. Common activities include going to get ice cream or going to a movie, playing catch or a video game, attending a sporting event or concert, hanging out at home and making dinner, or running errands. We encourage Bigs to share time instead of trying to create new time. Bring your Little on activities you were already going to do. Keep it simple and focus on getting to know each other. BBBS St. Joe also hosts great Match activities and parties that all Bigs/Littles are invited to. Our Bigs are also occasionally given free tickets to events that match support specialists are able to distribute to Matches.

Yes, your Home Visit will serve as an in-person training and will walk you through situational scenarios to help prepare you for your Match. In addition, your match support specialist will be there every step of the way to offer customized support as your Match progresses. We also partner with several organizations that provide workshops and trainings that are beneficial to all parties.

We only make same gender Matches. Big Brothers are always matched to Little Brothers. Big Sisters are matched to Little Sisters and Big Couples that include a male are matched to Little Brothers.

A Big Couple is a pair of Bigs who are in a long-term relationship and want to be matched together to the same Little. Big Couples do not have to be married, but must be in a long-term relationship for at least one year. This a great option for couples that would prefer a shared experience as opposed to each of them having their own Little. We want our Bigs to integrate their Little into their lives and this often means your Little spending a lot of time with your family and friends. The benefit of a Big Couple is now both Bigs have the option of going out one-on-one with their Little OR all three can go on outings together. Our Big Couples love the flexibility this gives their Match.

We do everything in our power to make a Match that we think will last. However, we realize that sometimes things come up — Bigs or Littles move, situations change, or something doesn’t work out. We will attempt to mediate the situation, but if it doesn’t work out, we will end the Match. If this happens, your match support specialist will be there to support you every step of the way and handle it in the best way possible.

We ask for a minimum commitment of one year for each Match we make, with the intention of continuing beyond that. Our average match length is over three years. That is often not the end, though — many of our friendships end up lasting a lifetime.