Volunteer Enrollment Training

Starting Something Since 1961

At Big Brothers Big Sisters of San Diego County, we’ve been impacting the lives of children for over 55 years. And we’re just getting started.

Over 100 Years of History Nationally…

For over a century, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America has been helping change kids’ perspectives and giving them the opportunity to reach their potential. It all started in 1904, when 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. 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 Association and Big Sisters International joined forces and became Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. And, today, Big Brothers Big Sisters currently operates in all 50 states—and in 12 countries around the world.