It Takes Little to Be Big

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Changing perspectives. Changing lives. ​ Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Central Blue Ridge operates under the belief that inherent in every child is the ability to succeed and thrive in life. As the area’s leading provider of evidence-based mentoring, our agency makes meaningful, monitored matches between adult volunteer mentors ("Bigs") and children ("Littles"), ages 6 through 16, in the Charlottesville and Albemarle communities. Our vision: All youth achieve their full potential. Mission: Create and support one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth.

Our Community Based Program: Bigs and Littles get together on their own to share in fun activities they both enjoy. Matches typically meet for a couple of hours each week or every other week. Some Bigs meet their Littles on the weekends while others get together with their Littles in the evenings. Each match is unique and develops a schedule that works for them. ​We require at least a 12 month commitment from our Bigs and Littles, and an additional 6 month window for enrollment. Getting together is a great time for both the Big and the Little. It doesn’t require a special occasion or expensive activities; just a couple of hours a week to share the simple things you already like to do. Things like playing at the park, going to a museum, baking cookies, planting a garden or visiting a local orchard. Matches meet in the community.

• What matches do is up to them, but we encourage no cost/low cost activities.
• Some activity ideas include baking cookies, going to the park, playing sports, riding bikes, volunteering together, or doing arts and crafts.​
• Outings typically last a couple of hours. ​
• During the time with their Big, children gain new skills, explore new interests and expand their experience-base beyond their family or neighborhood.