BBBS Volunteer Recruitment Campaign Begins
On May 13th, Big Brothers Big Sisters will launch its 2026 recruitment campaign, “The Big Draft,” with a kickoff party, open to the public.
The 2026 campaign aims to recruit 500 volunteers across Northeast Indiana to become Big Brothers and Big Sisters within 100 days. In Allen County, BBBS aims to recruit at least 250 volunteers to be matched with local youth. Bolstered recruitment efforts and extra events begin May 13 and continue through August 31. BBBS will launch the campaign with a kickoff party from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 13, at The Pitch at J K O’Donnell’s Irish Ale House, 121 W Wayne St, Fort Wayne, IN 46802. The event will feature an evening of games, snacks, drinks, and team drafting to start the campaign season, with additional recruitment events across Northeast Indiana to be announced.
This year’s “The Big Draft” theme draws on the excitement surrounding sports drafts and encourages the community to answer the call to mentor. Anyone can “get in the game” and become a mentor, with two programs tailored to different availabilities. Volunteers will meet with the youth they are matched with for at least two hours each month in the Community-Based program and for a half-hour weekly lunch in the School Buddies program.
Big Brothers Big Sisters undertakes this challenge to find matches for many children in the community who are still waiting for a mentor. Currently, there are over 300 Littles on the waiting list ready to be matched with Bigs. However, the number of children in need who would benefit from BBBS mentor programs may be larger, with Indiana ranking 25th in child well-being, according to the Indiana Youth Institute.
BBBS encourages those who are not currently able to mentor to get involved through plenty of other meaningful opportunities. Invite BBBS into workplaces, faith groups, or professional organizations to share the word about mentorship, the programs, and ways to get involved. People can also refer a friend or family member who would be a great mentor.
To “be the next pick” or learn more about becoming part of one of our programs, visit bbbsnei.org/500bigs/ or call (260) 456-1600. To learn more about getting involved in Allen County, contact Bailey Roe at bailey.roe@bbbs.org or call (260) 209-4722.
Big Brothers Big Sisters’ mission is to create and support one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth. To learn how you can positively impact a child’s life, donate or volunteer at BBBSNEI.org.
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