A little guidance goes a long, long way. That’s what the organization Big Brothers and Big Sisters of America has proven with its more than 100 years of experience in helping the nation’s youth build better lives for themselves.

Founded in 1904 by Ernest Coulter, a New York City court clerk, Big Brothers Association’s aim was to provide guidance and support to young boys in situations that make them more likely than most to get into trouble with the law. The organization began with 39 volunteers who pledged to befriend young boys and steer them away from trouble. By 1912, the organization was reported to be active in 26 cities across America. Around the same time Big Brothers Association was formed, a women’s group called Ladies of Charity was doing the same for young girls who appear before the courts of New York. This group later on became known as Catholic Big Sisters of New York from which Big Sisters International came from. Both groups operated independently until they merged in 1977, forming Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. Today, BBBS operations are spread throughout the USA’s 50 states, and are also present in 11 other countries around the world through Big Brothers Big Sisters International.

BBBS mentoring programs have shown impressive results in terms of reducing the risk of alcohol and drug use, skipping or dropping out of school, and violent behavior among the children in the program compared to those who don’t have Big Brothers or Big Sisters guiding them. The biggest contributors to the program’s success are the volunteers themselves. The organization screens aspiring volunteers to ensure the children’s safety, as well as to find the perfect match between the “bigs” and the “littles” in order to get better results. BBBS volunteers range from individuals to groups like fraternities, faith-based groups, as well as professional groups who wish to share their time to help misguided children towards a better life.