Our Mission and History

Our Mission: To strengthen our community’s future through one-to-one mentoring services to children & youth.

For over 40 years, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampden County has been the area’s leader in one-to-one mentoring of children. Currently, our agency is serving hundreds of children from Hampden County and the towns of South Hadley and Granby.

As an affiliate of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, we have lots of local and national research that proves our services work. Children in our program are:

• 46% less likely than their peers to start using illegal drugs
• 27% less likely to start drinking
• 52% less likely to skip a day of school
• 37% less likely to skip a class*

What Sets Us Apart

Our agencies across the country have been setting the standard in mentoring. The Big Brothers Big Sisters model is unique because it gives each and every one of our matches a professional staff member to help guide and nurture the relationship.

Research shows that children matched in relationships for at least six months have the most positive outcomes, so our professionals make sure that the relationships we make are safe, fun, and reach their potential. After all, we are a results-driven organization, so positive outcomes are what we’re all about!

^{*From “Making a Difference: An Impact Study of Big Brothers Big Sisters,” a study by Public/Private Ventures}