Big Brothers Big Sisters of Harrisonburg-Rockingham County has been recognized by the Big Brothers Big Sisters National Leadership Council with a 2015 Big Brothers Big Sisters of America Quality Award. Out of more than 300 Big Brothers Big Sisters agencies across the country, the local affiliate is one of 43 that were recognized as Quality Award winners at the 2016 Big Brothers Big Sisters National Conference in Orlando, Florida on June 28.
“I am so proud of our board and staff for making quality programming a priority for our local children,” said Sue Totty, executive director of the local agency. “Their hard work equates to more children served in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County and brighter futures for area youth.”
The award was presented to the top ten percent of agencies across the network and is the fourth consecutive for the Harrisonburg-Rockingham County program. Agencies selected for the Quality Award must demonstrate excellence in mentoring services, including meeting benchmarks for number of children served, revenue raised, and average length of mentoring relationships.
“This Quality Award reflects the care and attention that goes into each match between a Big and a Little. The Harrisonburg-Rockingham County program has done an outstanding job serving children in its community,” said Pam Iorio, president and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.
The local chapter served 638 children in 2015, making it the largest Big Brothers Big Sisters agency in the state of Virginia. Among other improvements, evaluation data shows that children matched in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program progress academically, avoid risky behaviors such as drugs and truancy, develop better relationships with family and peers and experience higher self-confidence. The local affiliate is in its fortieth year of serving children in the community.
About Big Brothers Big Sisters of Harrisonburg-Rockingham County
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Harrisonburg-Rockingham County is a youth-services organization that pairs adult mentors in professionally guided, one-to-one matches with children facing adversity. As an affiliate of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, the nation’s largest donor and volunteer supported mentoring network, the organization holds itself accountable for children in the program to achieve positive, measurable outcomes through research-based methods. Among other improvements, local evaluation data shows that children served progress academically, avoid delinquency, and experience increased self-confidence. Founded locally in 1976 as an outreach of Trinity Presbyterian Church, the organization is the largest Big Brothers Big Sisters agency in the state of Virginia, serving 638 children 2015. For more information, please call 540.433.8886 or visit www.bbbshr.org.
About Big Brothers Big Sisters of America
Big Brothers Big Sisters provides children facing adversity with strong and enduring, professionally supported one-to-one mentoring relationships that change their lives for the better, forever. Big Brothers Big Sisters ensures that the children in its program achieve such measurable outcomes as educational success, avoidance of risky behaviors, higher aspirations, greater confidence and better relationships. This mission has been the cornerstone of the organization’s 111-year history. With over 300 agencies across the country, Big Brothers Big Sisters serves nearly 170,000 children (“Littles”), their families and 170,000 volunteer mentors (“Bigs”). Learn more at www.BigBrothersBigSisters.org.