History

Local History

The Green Bay YMCA started an unofficial, part-time Big Brothers program in 1972 with no national affiliation. The Green Bay-De Pere YWCA started a similar Big Sister program in 1974.

The YMCA assisted in the creation of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Brown County in 1977 and affiliated with the national BBBS movement. With the assistance of the United Way, this new agency absorbed the former YWCA program in 1983.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Brown County changed its name to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeastern Wisconsin in 1983. Client service to Oconto County began in 1985; client service to Door County began in 2001.

National History

Irvin F. Westheimer founded the Big Brothers movement in 1903 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Mr. Westheimer, a 24-year-old businessman, was looking out his office window and saw a young boy and his dog rummaging through a garbage can for food. Mr. Westheimer went out and befriended the boy, taking him under his guidance and seeing him on a regular basis thereafter. Mr. Westheimer subsequently encouraged friends to do the same. He later traveled from city to city promoting the "Big Brother" concept. Mr. Westheimer died in 1980 at age 101.

Big Sisters began in New York in 1908, developing independently until the 1960's. Big Sisters International was formed in 1970.

Big Brothers of America was organized in 1946 and chartered by the U.S. Congress in 1958.

Big Brothers of America and Big Sisters International merged into Big Brothers Big Sisters of America in 1977. Big Brothers Big Sisters of America is the largest growing youth service movement in the United States with more than 500 affiliated agencies.