For over a century, Big Brothers and Big Sisters have helped children reach their potential through professionally supported one-to-one relationships with proven results.

In 1904, a young New York City court clerk named Ernest Coulter was seeing more and more boys come through his courtroom. He recognized that caring adults could help many of these kids stay out of trouble, and he set out to find volunteers. That marked the beginning of the Big Brothers movement. By 1916, Big Brothers had spread to 96 cities across the country.

At around the same time, the members of a group called Ladies of Charity were befriending girls who had come through the New York Children’s Court. That group would later become Catholic Big Sisters.

Both groups continued to work independently until 1977, when Big Brothers of America and Big Sisters International joined forces and became Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.

More than a century later, Big Brothers Big Sisters remains true to our founders’ vision of bringing caring mentors into the lives of children. Big Brothers Big Sisters currently operates in all 50 states and in 12 countries around the world!

Big Brothers Big Sisters of East Tennessee is a proud member agency of the national network. We have served the community for more than 40 years and offer services in nine East Tennessee counties: Anderson, Blount, Hawkins, Knox, Loudon, Roane, Scott, Sullivan and Washington. National research has shown that the positive relationships between Big Brothers/Big Sisters and Littles have a direct, measurable, and lasting impact on children’s lives.

Mission

The mission of Big Brothers Big Sisters of East Tennessee is to make a positive difference in the lives of children and youth who are in need of positive role models. This is done primarily through professionally screened and supported one-to-one relationships with caring volunteer adults. The intent of our mentoring service is to transform young people’s lives and enrich their families, thus helping to strengthen our communities and society as a whole.

Contact Us

Click here for a list of all contact information for our office and staff members.

Board Of Directors

Click here for a list of members of the Board of Directors.