About Us
Big Brothers Big Sisters originated in 1972 in Marshall County when a group of concerned citizens recognized that some young people in our community needed a one-to-one, man-to-boy relationship.  Big Brothers was founded to serve that purpose.  Big Sisters was started in 1975. Big Brothers and Big Sisters were united into a single corporation.  In 2004, Grinnell began providing school-based mentoring and the agency is now named Heart of Iowa Big Brothers Big Sisters.
 
Through the development of various community, corporate and private partnerships, BBBS has grown significantly since it was founded. We now serve youth in Marshall and Poweshiek Counties.  In the past the program averaged 50 matches/month, but now we average over 150 matches/year.  

Big Brothers Big Sisters targets youth from 6 years old through graduation of high school in Marshall County and Kindergarten through 7th grade in Grinnell.  Big Brothers Big Sisters works closely with parents, teachers, and other school personnel to match every child with the right Big Brother or Big Sister.  ​

Offer Positive Development

The goal of the Heart of Iowa Big Brothers Big Sisters program is to offer a positive, broad-based program that focuses less on specific problems after they occur, and more on meeting youths’ most basic developmental needs.  What matters most to the youth involved in a BBBS relationship is that they have a caring adult in their life, someone to confide in, relax with, and look up to.  As a result, they do better in school and at home, and avoid violence and substance abuse during a pivotal time in their life when even the smallest changes in behavior or choices made, can change the course of their future. 

Mission 
Our mission is to create and support 1-to-1 mentoring relationships that ignite the power & promise of youth.
 
We partner with parents/guardians, volunteers and others in the community and hold ourselves accountable for each child in our program achieving:
  • Higher aspirations, greater confidence, and better relationships
  • Avoidance of risky behaviors
  • Education success
 
We will accomplish this by achieving the highest quality of volunteer and child satisfaction, through the creation of friendships and community partnerships.