Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Lakeshore (BBBSL) is an affiliate agency of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America founded over 50 years ago to serve children in Michigan’s lakeshore counties of Muskegon, Ottawa, Oceana and Mason.
What do we do?
Big Brothers Big Sisters makes meaningful, monitored one-to-one mentoring matches between adult volunteers (“Bigs”) and children (“Littles”) in our communities. We develop positive relationships that have a direct and lasting effect to ignite the power and promise of youth.
Whom do we serve?
We serve children facing adversity between 6 and 18 years of age, or not yet graduated from high school. Locally our network of volunteers, donors and supporters come from all walks of life, all backgrounds, all corners of West Michigan.
What do we achieve?
All BBBS mentors help children achieve success in school, avoid risky behaviors such as getting into fights and trying drugs and alcohol, and help improve their self-confidence. Big Brothers Big Sisters holds ourselves accountable to our supporters by regularly measuring our impact.
Defending Potential
We don’t create potential, we defend it. Our volunteer mentors help children ignite and harness their own potential—the potential they have had all along.
Community-Based Mentoring
Community-based mentoring is the traditional Big Brothers Big Sisters relationship, all about one-on-one time spent with the volunteer and the child doing things they enjoy in the community.
Site-Based Mentoring
Our Site-based mentoring programs take place on school grounds during school hours or at partner locations during after-school hours.
Whether you get involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters as a donor, Big Brother or Big Sister, partner, advocate, Alumni Ambassador, or family member, you have the power to change a child’s future for the better.