Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Tri-State marks 50 years of transforming lives.
By Jean Hardiman
HQ 128 | Winter 2025
One good relationship can change someone’s life.
For many young people, that’s a truth that’s simply taken for granted. For others, good relationships are harder to find. They’re crucial, though, and that’s the premise of Big Brothers Big Sisters, an organization that pairs young people with mentors to help them make positive connections and reach their fullest potential.
While the national organization has been around for over a century, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Tri-State was founded 50 years ago by a group of local citizens concerned with the plight of children living in at-risk home environments. A board of directors was established in Cabell County, and the organization was officially incorporated in 1974.
Today, the local affiliate serves Cabell, Wayne, Mason, Putnam and Kanawha counties in West Virginia; Boyd, Greenup and Carter counties in Kentucky; and Lawrence County in Ohio. During its five decades of service to the Tri-State, the agency has provided mentorship to thousands of children, said Executive Director Stephanie Hurley Collier.
Mentors — referred to as “Big Brothers,” “Big Sisters” or simply “Bigs” — join the organization through school-based, community or corporate mentoring programs. Their role centers on building one-on-one relationships with younger children or teenagers, many of whom face some type of adversity.
“The children we serve come from a wide variety of backgrounds across the nine counties we support in West Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio,” Collier said. “We serve kids and youth between the ages of 6 and 18, although we do allow for young adults to continue service after their 18th birthday.”
In a 2023 study by the organization MENTOR, authors Michael Garringer and Chelsea Benning report that one in three children in the United States grows up without a mentor to provide support and encouragement. Collier said what sets the Big Brothers Big Sisters mentoring program apart from many in the countryis “the ongoing, professionally managed support that our families, children and mentors receive during their match.”
“Our staff of match support specialists are social workers dedicated to ensuring that all parties feel safe and comfortable with the match, have the information necessary to be successful and have support when or if things get difficult,” she said.
Each volunteer participates in a monthly conversation with a match support specialist to discuss the activities, interests and outings of their “Little” while also ensuring the ongoing appropriateness of the mentoring relationship and home environment. Intervention occurs when needed to support the children in meeting their goals.
“We are empowering young people to achieve four key outcomes of strong mentorship: belonging and social connections, positive behavior and choices, social and emotional health and educational success,” she said.
National impact data from 2023 shows that the program works, with 92% of youth involved in Big Brothers Big Sisters reporting that they feel a greater sense of belonging and connection to a caring adult, 88% saying that the program strengthens their sense of belonging among peers and 82% saying it has strengthened their engagement with school. The data also indicates that supportive mentoring reduces depressive symptoms and anxiety for Littles. Additionally, in 2023, 99% of Littles remained free of arrests and juvenile justice contact.
In the long term, those who have had positive mentoring experiences can expect to see improved health benefits, reduced feelings of isolation and even longer lifespans, according to a 2013 study by Boston Consulting Group. The study reports that individuals who’ve had supportive mentors are twice as likely to be involved in leadership positions in sports and clubs, twice as likely to enroll in postsecondary education and 41% less likely to engage in substance abuse.
According to a Huntington-area Little Brother named Jason, whose Big Brother’s name is Fields, having a supportive Big Brother has been nothing short of life-changing.
“Fields has been a real role model and great mentor to me since the sixth grade,” Jason said. “He has been there for me in the good times and the bad. I’ve learned how to deal with difficult situations and how to appreciate the small things in life, thanks to my Big Brother Fields leading by example.”
He said Fields’ mentorship has played a significant role in shaping both his character and his life’s path.
“The road I was heading down before Fields came along as my Big Brother was pretty rough,” Jason said. “He was a godsend. Fields helped me get myself together and become the man I am today. If it weren’t for Fields making such an impact on my life, Lord only knows where I’d be today. Because of this, I want everyone to know about my Big Brother.”
Fields, who was married but didn’t have children of his own when he became a Big Brother, said he has learned valuable lessons from Jason as well.
“It had been a long time since I had been around any children Jason’s age, so the learning curve was steep,” Fields admitted. “In time, I learned how to communicate effectively with him and gain an ability to be a support, not only academically but also emotionally and socially.”
Fields said the goals Jason has set for himself are inspiring.
“Jason has very concrete goals, and many of these goals are in no manner self-serving,” Fields said. “They are things he wants to accomplish or to become in order to position himself to help others. Jason is a tremendous young man — very faithful, loving and always striving to give back to his community in every way possible. These traits emanate from him, and it’s hard not to follow his lead.”
Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Tri-State has changed the lives of numerous Bigs and Littles over the course of 50 years, and many of them took the opportunity to celebrate the 50-year anniversary at the organization’s “Gilded Glamour”-themed gala in September. In addition to raising over $60,000, the event celebrated the organization’s decades of service and the transformative power of mentorship, Collier said.
“The event felt much like a family reunion, bringing together Bigs and Littles who were matched years ago, former board members and advocates for youth,” she said. “Our agency, and events like this, are a testament to what can be accomplished when we work together.”
