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History

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Big Brothers Big Sisters of Wabash Valley was established in 1968 by a group of local citizens concerned about the welfare of at-risk children in our community. With less than $300 in donations and a desk in the United Way building, the agency began matching children with caring adult mentors. All thirteen founding Board members became Big Brothers and Big Sisters and were also responsible for everything from governance to administering service delivery.

The agency had some “heavy hitters” as “Bigs” right from the start, including Bob Griese, Tim Tulley, and Mike Phipps. In 1982 Big Brothers Big Sisters of Wabash Valley became an affiliate of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, making it part of the nationally recognized leader in youth mentoring.

Several variations of the original, community mentoring program have been utilized by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Wabash Valley during its history, and currently include site-based mentoring programs located in elementary schools and the YMCA and our new faith-based mentoring programs. The hallmarks of the service, however, have remained constant: one-to-one mentoring relationships between children and adult volunteers supported by professional case management staff.