Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater New Orleans

Founded in 1904, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (BBBSA) is the largest national youth-serving organization in the U.S. Our model is a relationship-based, professionally supported mentoring experience between young people (“Littles”), ages 5 through young adulthood, and caring, positive adult mentors (“Bigs”). Our services are 100% free of charge to the families we serve, and we have 230+ local agencies serving youth and families in more than 5,000 communities across all 50 states. Our mission is to create and support one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth.

We believe that inherent in every child is incredible potential. This approach seems simple, and we know that by having one supportive adult in their lives, youth build essential relationships and resiliency skills that help them navigate life stressors. With the support of their Bigs, Littles have a better chance of breaking societal barriers, closing opportunity gaps, and overcoming adversities like poverty and identity-based discrimination in communities nationwide than their peers who don’t participate in our program.

In BBBSA’s 2023-2027 Bold Path to a Big Future Strategic Plan, we have outlined our plan to grow services to young people across the nation, including establishing Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) programs in new communities and returning to communities we once served. One of the most critical cities to support in our nation is New Orleans, Louisiana, where BBBS once had an active agency.

At the height of its service to the community, Big Brothers Big Sisters New Orleans served over 1,000 Bigs and Littles, providing positive mentorship opportunities for local youth and strengthening the broader community. In the years following Hurricane Katrina, many residents, including BBBS New Orleans staff members, relocated due to the devastation of their neighborhoods. The economic impact of this natural disaster on the city was severe and multifaceted, and over the years, vital funding sources were disrupted, and the agency felt the strain on its operations deeply. With many vital donors reprioritizing funding, and a reduced number of staff members, the agency was not stable enough to maintain services. BBBS New Orleans had to make the hard decision to close their doors, leaving a gap in mentoring services for many young people in the community.

In the 2024–25 school year, BBBS of Acadiana successfully piloted one-to-one mentoring in several New Orleans charter schools. These pilots revealed both the strong demand for mentoring and the readiness of local schools to engage in deeper partnerships. With this foundation in place, we now seek to introduce the full Big Futures suite—Small Group Mentoring and High School Bigs—proven in Acadiana, to the Greater New Orleans region.