General Volunteer FAQs
Community-Based Mentoring Program FAQs
School-Based Mentoring Program FAQs
Hybrid Match FAQs
Teen Big FAQs
Sports Buddies FAQs
Second Chance FAQs
Operation BIGS: Mentoring Military Children FAQs
Apoyo Program FAQs
General Volunteer FAQs
What is a Little Brother or Sister?
A Little Brother or Sister is a child in our program between the age of 6 and 18 years old. Children come from diverse backgrounds in seven counties throughout Oregon and Southwest Washington. Over 50 percent of Little Brothers and Sisters are African American, Native American or Latino. Ninety percent come from single-parent homes. Regardless of their background, all Little Brothers and Sisters have one thing in common: they can benefit from the positive presence of a volunteer Big Brother, Sister or Couple.
What is a Big Brother, Sister or Couple?
A Big Brother or Sister is at least 18 years old and interested in making a difference in the life of a local child. A Big Couple includes two people in a committed relationship who are matched with a Little Brother. We have Big Couple sisters, brothers, spouses and partners — young and old!
How do the children get into the Big Brothers Big Sisters program?
Any child in need of an additional caring adult and living in one of the seven counties we serve: Clackamas, Clark, Cowlitz, Marion, Multnomah, Skamania, Wahkiakum or Washington, is invited to enroll in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program.
How long will I be a Big Brother, Sister or Couple?
Each Big Brother, Sister or Couple is asked to make a minimum commitment of at least 12 months. We are proud to have had matches last as long as 30 years and have great hope that you will enjoy a life-long friendship. Read Little Brother Phil’s story.
Does being a Big Brother, Sister or Couple require experience?
No. Simply spending time, being safe, and caring about your Little Brother or Sister can make an impact on the child’s life.
What is a match?
A match is what we call a volunteer and child pairing. In order to create fun and long-lasting friendships, Big Brothers Big Sisters matches volunteers with children who have similar interests.
What is a match meeting?
Volunteers are matched with a Little Brother or Sister after completing the interview process and volunteer orientation. Volunteers meet their Little Brother or Sister and their parent/guardian for the first time during a match meeting. Your assigned match support specialist facilitates the match meeting and helps the match learn new things about each other, determine the best days or times for match outings, and review program and safety guidelines.
What kind of support will I get from Big Brothers Big Sisters Columbia Northwest?
Our agency provides several layers of ongoing support for volunteers and families. After a volunteer is interviewed, the next step is to attend an orientation. The orientation covers several topics: your role as a Big Brother or Sister, how to establish open communication with the child and their family, cultural perspectives, how to create healthy boundaries, how to maintain reasonable expectations and brainstorm match activities.
After you meet your Little Brother or Sister at the match meeting, your assigned match support specialist will check in with you, your Little Brother or Sister, and their parent/guardian on a monthly basis. Your assigned match support specialist is responsible for ensuring the health and safety of the match relationship as well as offer ongoing topic-based workshops for volunteers throughout the year.
The agency’s match activities coordinator provides resources and ideas for low-cost and fun activities, and (occasionally) free tickets for you and your Little Brother or Sister to attend local events.
Because we recognize the needs of many families served by the agency, your match support specialist also helps families connect with community support such as low-cost medical care, food boxes, clothing and other resources as needed.
What is the enrollment process like to become a Big Brother, Sister or Couple?
Just call us at 866.882.6696 or complete the application. You will then be invited to an in-person interview with one of our enrollment staff. During the interview, enrollment staff will ask a series of questions to become more familiar with your background and interests. Potential volunteers must pass a criminal background screening, driving record check (for community-based volunteers), and complete personal and professional reference checks.
Can I bring my spouse, a friend or family member on outings with my Little Brother or Sister?
In the beginning it is important for you and your Little Brother or Sister to spend one-to-one time to get to know each other. However, it’s also valuable for your Little Brother or Sister to get to know the people who are important to you. After three months of being matched, community-based matches may request permission to invite a friend or family member along on an outing.
Will I become a replacement parent?
No. A volunteer is a consistent friend, not a parent or service provider. Little Brothers and Sisters have parents or guardians in their life already. The purpose of the program is for a Big Brother or Sister to be a good friend and spend quality, one-to-one time with their Little Brother or Sister.
Prefer to speak Spanish with your staff, is this an option?
Yes. To better serve the Latino community, we have bi-lingual and bi-cultural staff available at 503.249.4859 to answer any questions about our programs or activities.
Community-Based Mentoring Program FAQs
What is the Community-Based program?
The Community-Based Mentoring Program is traditionally what comes to mind when you think of Big Brothers Big Sisters. The schedule is flexible and you can spend time with your Little Brother or Sister after school, in the evening or on the weekend.
How often do we meet, and for how long?
Volunteers are asked to meet up with their Little Brother or Sister three to four times per month. Match outings can be activities you or your Little Brother or Sister have never done before, or it can be as simple as running errands together. The number of hours spent together during each match outing depends on the type of activity that has been planned. Just remember that the quality of time spent together far outweighs the type of activity itself.
Do I plan all of the activities?
During the match meeting, you and your Little Brother or Sister will plan your first outing based on mutual interests. The agency’s match activities coordinator provides resources and ideas for low-cost and fun activities, and (occasionally) free tickets for you and your Little Brother or Sister to attend local events. Check out our Match Activities and Tickets page to view a current list of open activities.
Just like volunteers, potential Little Brothers or Sisters and their parent/guardian are interviewed at the beginning of the matching process so we have a more thorough understanding of the child’s background and interests. The goal is to match volunteers with children who share the same hobbies and activities and/or who are interested in trying new activities.
Depending on the child’s age and other factors, your Little Brother or Sister may be more or less comfortable suggesting activity ideas. Your match support specialist is available to brainstorm activity ideas or other questions as they arise. We encourage matches to take turns choosing activities or draw ideas out of a hat. Do you love sports and being active? Do you enjoy role modeling a healthy lifestyle? Then check out the newly launched Sports Buddies program!
How much money should I spend?
Matches are strongly encouraged to participate in low-cost or free activities. Volunteers and parent/guardians should reach an agreement about how expenses will be covered. Setting a clear weekly or monthly budget can be a very helpful tool. We encourage you to bookmark our Match Activities and Tickets page to view a current list of open activities.
How do I become a Community-Based Big Brother, Sister or Couple?
Just call us at 866.882.6696 or complete the application. Be sure to indicate that you want to be a community-based volunteer.
School-Based Mentoring Program FAQs
What is the School-Based Program?
The school-based program is a perfect fit for an individual with a busy career and/or children. Through this program, a volunteer meets at a local school, close to their workplace — or, if you are a college student, close to your college — for lunch three to four times a month during the school year. If you are a teen who wants to mentor a young child, check out our Teen Big program.
How are children selected for the program?
Children are referred to the program several ways: by the child themselves, their parent/guardian, a school counselor, principal or therapist. All of the children must have parent/guardian permission prior to being matched in the program.
How long is the commitment?
Each Big Brother, Sister or Couple is asked to make a minimum commitment of at least 12 months. We hope that you will enjoy the experience of being a Big Brother or Sister so much that you will remain in the program for years to come.
How often do we meet?
School-based volunteers meet up with their Little Brother or Sister during the child’s lunch or recess period. Hours vary depending on the school location, but this typically occurs between 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Recess and lunch periods may be between 30 to 50 minutes.
What happens in the summer?
Matches are invited to attend summer match activities that are planned and sponsored by Big Brothers Big Sisters. Examples include craft activities, swimming at a local community center, or attending the agency’s annual picnic. School-based matches may attend these events as long as the volunteer and child arrive separately. Generally, the Little Brother or Sister gets a ride from a parent/guardian or other family member.
Are there opportunities to see my Little Brother or Sister outside of school as well?
School-based matches may only meet at the child’s school during normal hours, at supervised school-sponsored events, and at summer activities sponsored and supervised by Big Brothers Big Sisters staff. Hybrid matches may be permitted to meet at your Little Brother or Sister’s school and in the community. If you are interested in transitioning into a hybrid match, please contact your assigned school-based coordinator to talk about the options.
How do I become a School-Based Big Brother or Sister?
Just call us at 866.882.6696 or complete the application. Please indicate that you want to be a school-based volunteer.
Hybrid Match FAQs
What is a hybrid match?
If you are currently matched in the School-Based Mentoring Program and would like to see your Little Brother or Sister outside of school, a hybrid match may be an option. This type of match enables you to participate as a Big Brother or Sister in both our School-Based and Community-Based programs. If you are interested in transitioning into this type of match, contact your assigned school-based coordinator to discuss the options.
Teen Big FAQs
I am in high school and I want to be a Big Brother or Sister, how can I volunteer?
High school students are eligible to become a Teen Big Brother or Sister if they are over 15 years of age, have parental consent and are able to volunteer at a nearby elementary school where Big Brothers Big Sisters has a Teen Big program. Visit our School-Based Mentoring Program map to view the current Teen Big Locations.
How do I become a Teen Big?
Just call us at 866.882.6696 or complete the application. Please indicate that you want to be a Teen Big Brother or Sister.
Sports Buddies FAQs
What is Sports Buddies?
As a Sports Buddy volunteer, you are matched with a Little Brother or Sister to participate in a wide array of healthy physical activities including sporting events. The best part of the Sports Buddies Program is that Big Brothers Big Sisters provides the activity ideas and opportunities for matches to participate in sporting events. This program is open to Big Brothers, Sisters and Couples.
How often do I meet with my Little Brother or Sister?
Sports Buddies volunteers should meet up with their Little Brother or Sister three to four times a month. At least two of those outings should include a sports or physical activity with your Little Brother or Sister.
Do I plan the activities?
Big Brothers Big Sisters schedules a number of Sports Buddies program activities or you can choose to schedule your own.
Does the program cost money?
There are tons of free events and activities to choose from, so the expense is minimal. Tickets are donated to the agency or provided at a discounted rate by our generous Sports Buddies sponsors. In other cases, volunteers and parent/guardians should reach an agreement about how expenses will be covered. Setting a weekly or monthly budget can be a very helpful tool for matches.
What counties do you serve?
While the Sports Buddies program is open to all seven of the counties we serve (Clackamas, Clark, Cowlitz, Marion, Multnomah, Skamania, Wahkiakum and Washington), most Sports Buddies events are hosted in the Portland area.
How do I become a Sports Buddy Big Brother, Sister or Couple?
Just call us at 866.882.6696 or complete the application. Please indicate that you want to be a Sports Buddy.
Second Chance FAQs
What is Second Chance?
Second Chance is a program to support youth between the ages of 12-19 years old and currently being served by the juvenile justice system. Youth in this program will reside in Marion, Multnomah, Washington or Clackamas county upon their release. The goal of the program is to provide a Big Brother, Sister or Couple friendship to the youth in an effort to ensure a healthy transition back into the community.
Will I meet with my Second Chance Little Brother or Sister at their detention center?
For the first three to six months of your relationship, you will meet at your Little Brother or Sister’s detention facility. Second Chance volunteers should contact their Little Brother or Sister three to four times per month, including a supervised in-person visit once a month. These in-person visits are a crucial step in getting to know your Little Brother or Sister (and vice versa) prior to their release. Additional contacts may occur through phone calls or mailed letters.
What happens after my Little Brother or Sister is released from the detention center?
After release, your match will meet three to four times per month for a couple of hours at a time. Matches may participate in unsupervised activities such as taking a walk, attending cultural events, going to the library or a movie, school activities and sharing common interests.
How much money should I spend?
Matches are strongly encouraged to participate in low-cost or free activities. Volunteers and parent/guardians should reach an agreement about how expenses will be covered. Setting a clear weekly or monthly budget can be a very helpful tool for matches. We encourage you to bookmark our Match Activities and Tickets page to view a current list of open activities.
How long is the commitment?
Little Brothers and Sisters in the Second Chance program need additional layers of support, care, and consistency. For this reason, volunteers are asked to make a minimum commitment of at least 18 months.
How do I become a Second Chance Big Brother, Sister or Couple?
Just call us at 866.882.6696 or complete the application. Please indicate that you want to be a Second Chance volunteer.
Operation BIGS FAQs
Will a Big Brother or Sister replace the deployed parent?
No. A volunteer is a consistent friend, not a parent or service provider. Little Brothers and Sisters have parents or guardians in their life already. The purpose of the program is for a Big Brother or Sister to be a good friend and spend quality, one-to-one time with their Little Brother or Sister.
How do I become a Operation BIGS Big Brother, Sister or Couple?
Just call us at 866.882.6696 or complete the application. Please indicate that you want to be an Operation BIGS volunteer.
Learn about becoming an Operation BIGS Little Brother or Sister
Apoyo Program FAQs
Why does the Apoyo Program require a two year commitment?
These are children who may have had multiple transitions and losses in their lives. They would benefit from a longer commitment/friendship.
How often are the Child and Family Team Meetings held? Do I have to attend?
Attendance is not mandatory; but, recommended. The meetings are scheduled as needed. In general, the meetings are held on a quarterly basis. You can participate by telephone if you are unable to travel to Hillsboro for the scheduled meeting.
How do I become an Apoyo Program Big Brother, Sister or Couple?
Just call us at 866.882.6696 or complete the application. Please indicate that you want to be an Apoyo volunteer.
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