Big Brothers Big Sisters

For over a century, the non-profit Big Brothers and Big Sisters agency has been helping children reach their potential through professionally supported one-to-one mentoring relationships. These relationships have been proven to postively impact the lives of our youth. It is through these special mentors, donors and supporters that have helped expand the horizons of the children in our communities

It started in 1904, when a young New York City court clerk named Ernest Coulter began to see more and more boys come through his courtroom. He recognized that caring adults could help many of these children stay out of trouble and sought out to find volunteers who could invest in the lives of these boys.

By 1916, Big Brothers has already spread to 96 cities across the country. Members of a group called Ladies of Charity start befriending girls who have come through the New York Children’s Court, known as Catholic Big Sisters.

In 1977, Big Brothers of America and Big Sisters International join forces and became Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.

Today Big Brothers Big Sisters of America remains true to our founders’ vision of bringing caring mentors into the lives of children. Big Brothers Big Sisters operates in all 50 states and in 12 countries around the world!

Rappahannock Big Brothers Big Sisters

In 1967, Reverend Thomas G. Faulkner, Rector of St. George's Episcopal Church in Fredericksburg, is instrumental in founding the Rappahannock Big Brothers agency.

By 1974, the Agency incorporates a Big Sister chapter as part of its program, making it the first organization in Virginia to sanction a combined Big Brothers Big Sisters program.

Rappahannock Big Brothers Big Sisters, developed multiple programs in 1999 including, a Sports Buddies program as well as an After-School program in three different schools.

Campus Pals was launched in 2000. This new program focuses on the mentoring relationships between college students and children from the agency’s waiting list. The one-on-one program takes place on Sunday afternoons on the college campus, exposing youth to a college environment. The agency also expanded it's school-based program and began it's corporate partnership in Stafford County with McQ Associates and GEICO, providing mentors for Falmouth and Hartwood Elementary schools respectively.

2005: Staff is fully functional under the new Service Delivery Model (SDM) developed by National to bring about more efficiency in enrolling volunteers and matching children, as well as to provide better customer service. The agency serves 384 matches, compared to 285 matches in 2004, an increase of 35%.

2006: The number of active matches has increased by 13%, compared to 2005, 5% over National’s growth goal. RBBBS signs a contract with an outside fundraiser to organize and expand the 8th Annual Taste of Fredericksburg, marking the first time that the agency engages a special events consultant to be in charge of a major fundraiser.

Recently, RBBBS became an AIM (Agency Information Management) agency. This has allowed the agency to focus on forming even more, one-to-one mentoring relationships with the children in need of our community. We're looking for volunteers to be themselves and spend time with a child! Please contact us if you're interested so we can continue our mission in forming more longer, stronger matches!