Mission:

The mission of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ventura County, Inc. is to improve the lives of children by creating and supporting one-to-one mentoring.

About Us:

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ventura County has been serving youth in Ventura County since 1970. The agency is the only preventative program of its kind, designed to assist youth in staying off drugs, out of gangs and in school.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ventura County is based on a belief in the potential value of one-to-one regular contact between a mature adult volunteer and a child from a single-parent family. Each volunteer pursues the goal of providing guidance, companionship and recreation, and develops in the child a positive self-attitude and an acceptance of responsibility.

Community-Based Match:

The "community" program of Big Brothers Big Sisters matches volunteers who are over 18 with children from single parent families. Volunteers spend 2 hours a week, one on one time, for a period of at least a year. The average length of a match in Ventura County is 2 ½ years, with many matches lasting a lifetime. Parents or legal guardians initiate the request for service for their children, boys from 8 to 14 and girls, 6 to 14. Matches can remain in the program until they are 21. Each match has goals set that include social, academic, and recreation objectives. A match support specialist professionally supervises each match. We currently have 25 matches in Santa Paula and 20 children waiting for a mentor.