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Our Story

We don’t pretend to be everything for everybody. We only focus on one thing: providing adult mentors for youth facing adversity. Of the kids we serve:

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  • 85% live at or below poverty level. Of those kids in Kansas, 1 in 4 will not walk across the stage and get their high school diploma. Over 20% of the youth we serve actually have a total combined household income of LESS than $15K annually.

  • Over 80% come from single parent homes

  • Over 60% come from homes with issues with drug and/or alcohol abuse

  • Over 40% have either personally witnessed or experienced domestic violence

  • Nearly 1/3 have or have had at least one incarcerated parent

  • Over 25% are also receiving services from DCF

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Our caring and well-trained case managers (Match Support Specialists) intake every potential volunteer and every youth to provide a best fit match that we hope results in a long relationship for the very strongest of outcomes.  These case managers set goals with the youth and are the relationship broker working with the youth, the families, and our mentors to support, train, and provide resources as needed.

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Why do we do this, you may ask? Harris Interactive conducted an independent study, working with FORMER Littles who are now adults.  These results are why we do what we do:

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  • 46% report a household income of OVER $75K

  • 78% vote in elections

  • 90% report that their mentor made them feel better about themselves

  • 76% learned right from wrong from their mentor

  • Over half said that their mentor kept them from dropping out of high school

Our Mission and Vision

Kansas Big Brothers Big Sisters (KSBBBS) matches youth facing adversity with caring, adult mentors outside of their home. We believe that all youth - regardless of race, socioeconomic status, or family background - can achieve success in life, especially with the guidance and support of a caring adult mentor. These one-to-one professionally-supported friendships last a minimum of one year. However, the effects of these friendships last a lifetime.

​Mission: Create and support one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth.

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Vision: All youth we serve have a living-wage job by age 25.

Our Youth

The youth we serve are 5 to 17 years old (with an option to remain matched through young adulthood) and face various forms of adversity. With an active adult role model, they will have support and assistance to overcome these barriers and become engaged community members and healthy adults, as all parents desire for their youth. By becoming a mentor, you are becoming a role model, which makes a huge impact on the lives of these youth. 

Accountability Statement

We partner with parents/guardians, volunteers and others in the community and hold ourselves accountable to each youth in our program. We are committed to seeing them:

  • Achieve higher aspirations, greater confidence, and better relationships.

  • Avoid risky behaviors.

  • Reach educational success.

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Every youth has an opportunity to hold a living wage job by age 25.
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