Big Brothers Big Sisters of McHenry County

To help children reach their potential through one-to-one relationships with mentors that have a measurable impact on youth.

For more than 100 years, Big Brothers Big Sisters has operated under the belief that inherent in every child is the ability to succeed and thrive in life. As the nation’s largest donor and volunteer supported mentoring network, Big Brothers Big Sisters makes meaningful, monitored matches between adult volunteers (“Bigs”) and children (“Littles”), ages 6 through 18, in communities across the country. We develop positive relationships that have a direct and lasting effect on the lives of young people. Here's the proof. National research has shown that positive relationships between Littles and their Bigs have a direct and measurable impact on children’s lives. By participating in our programs, Little Brothers and Sisters are: more confident in their schoolwork performance able to get along better with their families 46% less likely to begin using illegal drugs 27% less likely to begin using alcohol 52% less likely to skip school.