Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri (BBBSEMO) has served youth and community since 1914, representing more than 110 years of institutional history. BBBSEMO is the largest and most impactful youth mentoring organization in Missouri and one of the largest BBBS affiliates in the country. The agency supports more than 1,400 active matches in its one-to-one mentoring program plus signature one-to-many efforts. BBBSEMO supports children and families in St. Louis City, St. Louis County, and St. Charles County. The agency programming encompasses supports for education and workforce development, including ABCToday (in 19 schools, K-12), Big Futures (young people ages 18-25), and First Job (ages 15-17). Kristen Slaughter serves as CEO since 2023, after 22 years of dedicated service at the agency including time as Big Sister herself. Slaughter was named one of the Top Nonprofit Leaders in the 2026 St. Louis Business 500. Previous CEO Becky James-Hatter led BBBSEMO as President and CEO for 28 years from 1994 to 2022. When James-Hatter joined in 1994, the agency was serving 300 youth, wrestling to fund a $300,000 budget and maintain a staff of seven. By her retirement at the end of 2022, BBBSEMO was serving 9,000+ youth, supported by a $6.2 million budget and a professional staff of 70.
At BBBSEMO, the agency shows up for young people, facilitating the relationships that fuel their pursuit of a meaningful, stable, and independent life. In partnership with parents and youth and a constellation of support from mentors, educators, and community partners, youth can see what is possible and they feel significant enough to achieve it. Success should not be situational; with the support they desire and deserve, young people come to understand the future is theirs to define and they feel confident enough to pursue it.
The young people BBBSEMO encounters every day have vast gifts and strengths. Some may also need help with significant obstacles, but that does not make them needy. While BBBSEMO offers one-to-one developmental mentoring in its Big/Little programs, that is only one of the many relationships the agency cultivates. BBBSEMO brings caregivers, educators, and service providers to the table so youth and their families have all the support they deserve. The young people in BBBSEMO programs are not "troubled kids." They are like everyone else: they want a shot at a greater life.
BBBSEMO traces its founding to 1914, making it one of the oldest BBBS affiliates in the country. The 1914 founding date predates the formal Big Brothers of America national network founding in 1947 by more than three decades. BBBSEMO institutional history is comparable to BBBS New York City (the nation first BBBS, founded 1904), BBBS Lone Star (formerly North Texas), and BBBS Independence Region (formerly Southeastern Pennsylvania, founded 1915) as one of the oldest BBBS-tradition organizations in the country.
Over the 110+ years, BBBSEMO has accumulated institutional capacity, family relationships, deep corporate partnership infrastructure, and the kind of community recognition that comes only from many decades of service. The combination of historical depth, statewide leadership position (largest BBBS in Missouri), and substantial annual operating scale puts BBBSEMO in the top tier of the BBBS national network.
Becky James-Hatter led BBBSEMO as President and CEO for 28 years, from 1994 to 2022. When she joined in 1994, BBBSEMO was serving 300 youth, wrestling to fund a $300,000 budget and maintain a staff of seven. In partnership with the Board of Directors and staff, James-Hatter adopted a "put young people first" mindset. This commitment resulted in innovative programs and dramatic growth in impact and scale.
By her retirement announcement in March 2022, BBBSEMO was the largest and most impactful youth mentoring organization in Missouri, serving 9,000+ youth, supported by a $6.2 million budget and a professional staff of 70. The growth from 300 youth to 9,000+ youth represents 30-fold scale increase. The growth from $300,000 budget to $6.2 million represents 20-fold financial scale increase. The growth from staff of 7 to staff of 70 represents 10-fold staffing scale increase. James-Hatter retired at the end of 2022 and remained with the agency as a Senior Advisor through December 2023.
James-Hatter is also a four-time Big Sister who has kept in close contact with Little Sister Ke'Sheara (matched 25+ years) and Little Sister Ivey (matched 20+ years). James-Hatter and her husband Bill were matched as a Big Couple with Little Brother Erick for thirteen years; they remain connected and close today. Her personal Big Sister and Big Couple experience demonstrates the leadership model of CEO direct mentoring participation rather than only administrative engagement.
Kristen Slaughter serves as CEO of BBBSEMO since 2023. She joined the BBBSEMO staff more than two decades ago, driven by a belief in the power of mentorship to change lives. Early in her career, she became a Big Sister, an experience that deepened her commitment to ensuring every young person has access to meaningful, supportive relationships. That match helped shape her leadership and fueled her passion for expanding mentorship across Eastern Missouri.
Over the years, Slaughter has helped build and strengthen programs that have supported thousands of youth and families. In 2023, after 22 years of dedicated service, she became CEO, bringing a bold vision, a collaborative spirit, and an unwavering focus on helping young people thrive. Slaughter was named one of the Top Nonprofit Leaders in the 2026 St. Louis Business 500 list, the recognition highlights leaders who are shaping the future of the St. Louis region.
BBBSEMO supports more than 1,400 active matches in its one-to-one mentoring program. The traditional 1:1 model matches a Big with a Little for sustained mentoring relationship development. Activities include the wide range of typical BBBS programming: shared meals, outdoor activities, sporting events, academic support, life skills coaching, and the kind of regular consistent adult presence that drives positive outcomes.
Beyond the traditional 1:1, BBBSEMO offers Big Couples and Big Families formats. The Big Couples format allows two adults (often a married couple) to share a mentoring relationship with a single Little. The Big Families format extends to whole-family mentor units. The diversified match format portfolio allows BBBSEMO to engage volunteers across a broader range of life situations than the traditional 1:1 model alone reaches.
ABCToday is BBBSEMO K-12 schools-based program operating in 19 schools across the Eastern Missouri service area. The schools-based model integrates BBBSEMO mentoring expertise with the existing school day infrastructure that families already engage. The 19-school scale represents substantial coordination with school district administrative offices, school principal relationships, teacher engagement, and student family communication.
The ABCToday program reflects BBBSEMO broader strategy of integrating mentoring with education and workforce development supports rather than treating mentoring as a standalone intervention. The school-day integration removes some of the transportation, schedule, and family logistics barriers that limit traditional community-based mentoring access for some families.
Big Futures is BBBSEMO program for alumni Littles ages 18 to 25. The post-high-school age bracket addresses the critical young adult transition years when many former Littles continue to benefit from sustained mentoring support. The Big Futures program parallels similar offerings at other major BBBS affiliates (BBBS Eastern Massachusetts Big Futures Bash, BBBS Central Ohio Big Futures graduate program, BBBS Greater Birmingham Big Futures program).
For BBBSEMO Littles entering Big Futures, the agency continuity allows for sustained mentoring through college, military service, trade school, or early career employment. The transition support addresses the substantial challenges young adults face in housing, finances, decision-making, and adult life management without strong family or community support networks.
First Job is BBBSEMO program for Littles ages 15-17. The high school years are critical for early workforce participation, summer job experience, and the foundational professional skills that support later career success. First Job targeted age bracket (between traditional middle-school-age 1:1 matching and the Big Futures 18-25 transition support) addresses a specific window where structured workforce preparation can make a significant difference.
The First Job program complements the Big Futures program in BBBSEMO age-progression mentoring framework. Littles who enter the 1:1 program in elementary school can progress through First Job during high school and Big Futures during early adulthood, providing sustained mentoring support across the full developmental arc from childhood through young adulthood.
Group Mentoring provides intensive support to 20 youth and families from an embedded mentor within designated schools, through hybrid mentorship and wraparound services. The Group Mentoring format combines individual mentoring elements with group facilitation, family engagement, and broader wraparound service coordination. The embedded school mentor model puts a BBBSEMO professional directly inside the school environment for sustained relationship building with multiple youth and families.
The intensive Group Mentoring model addresses specific subpopulations of youth whose needs exceed the standard 1:1 mentoring model capacity to address. The embedded mentor approach also creates ongoing presence at the school level rather than the more episodic visits typical of one-to-one mentoring.
BBBSEMO operates a community-gathering space called Anew. The Anew space serves as the agency in-person convening venue for events including the dining experience BBBSEMO hosted for the International Women Forum of Missouri. Slaughter, Kristen Sorth, and Jackie Middleton Tischler hosted the event in the Anew space where leaders came together to connect, build community, and learn more about the impact BBBSEMO is making throughout St. Louis.
The Anew space provides BBBSEMO with operational flexibility for events that would otherwise require off-site venue rental. The on-site community gathering capacity supports board engagement, donor cultivation, partner organization coordination, and the kind of relationship-building that drives ongoing fundraising and community engagement.
Battle @ The Ballpark is BBBSEMO annual signature fundraiser: a rock-paper-scissors battle at Busch Stadium. The first event launched in 2022, hoping to raise $1 million. The rock-paper-scissors fundraiser replaced the previous 30+ year Bowl for Kids' Sake event. James-Hatter, then BBBSEMO CEO, framed the fundraiser philosophy: because of the agency work with kids, BBBSEMO wanted a fundraiser that was also a game, and the agency wanted to keep the pressure low so no participants would feel overly pressured to go into deep training.
The Battle @ The Ballpark partnership with the St. Louis Cardinals and Busch Stadium provides the iconic venue that draws St. Louis-area donor attention. The Cardinals partnership reflects the broader engagement BBBSEMO has cultivated with St. Louis professional sports and community institutions.
BBBSEMO partnered with 101 ESPN radio for the 101 Mentors in 101 Days Be Big recruitment campaign. The themed campaign aligned the recruitment target (101 mentors) with the partner station call letters (101 ESPN) and a defined 101-day campaign window. The campaign framing made the recruitment ask memorable and shareable.
To become a Big with BBBSEMO, visit bbbsemo.org. The screening process includes application, references, background check, interviews, and orientation. BBBSEMO offers multiple match formats: traditional 1:1 Big Brothers and Big Sisters, Big Couples and Big Families, and Group Mentoring with embedded school mentors. The variety of formats allows BBBSEMO to match volunteers with the model that fits their availability, family situation, and mentoring style.
Families can enroll children in BBBSEMO programming. Visit bbbsemo.org to start the enrollment process. The program is free for families. BBBSEMO serves Littles across the full developmental arc through age-appropriate program tracks: traditional 1:1 mentoring, ABCToday school-based programming K-12, First Job for ages 15-17, and Big Futures for ages 18-25. The age-progression framework allows Littles to maintain BBBSEMO connection through childhood, teenage years, and early adulthood.
Donations can be made at bbbsemo.org or by mail to PO Box 775069, St. Louis, MO 63177-5069. BBBSEMO is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. Donations are tax-deductible. The $6.2 million annual budget supporting the 70-person professional staff reflects substantial corporate, foundation, and individual donor base.
Major corporate partnerships include the St. Louis Cardinals (Battle @ The Ballpark venue), 101 ESPN (101 Mentors in 101 Days recruitment campaign), and many other St. Louis-area employers. Foundation grants and individual giving make up the broader fundraising mix. The Patti Watson-Soluade Staff of the Year and the Community Partner of the Year award infrastructure reflects sustained corporate engagement.
BBBSEMO files its own Form 990 separately from Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. Match Support Specialist staffing represents a significant share of operating costs. The 1,400+ active 1:1 matches plus the one-to-many programming (ABCToday in 19 schools, Big Futures, First Job, Group Mentoring with embedded school mentors) require substantial professional staffing across the 70-person team.
The $6.2 million annual budget supports the multi-program portfolio, the headquarters operations at 501 N. Grand Blvd, the Anew community gathering space, the multi-county service area across St. Louis City + County + St. Charles County, and the broader corporate and community engagement work. The 110+ year operational history gives BBBSEMO institutional credibility that supports ongoing fundraising.
For pure scale of youth-serving nonprofit infrastructure in Eastern Missouri, Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis reaches more children annually through after-school programming, the Y of Greater St. Louis operates extensive community programming, and many other youth-serving nonprofits operate at scale. For one-to-one structured mentoring specifically, BBBSEMO is the largest single agency in Missouri and one of the largest BBBS affiliates in the country.
BBBSEMO specific advantages: the 1914 founding and 110+ year institutional history, the largest BBBS in Missouri position, the 1,400+ active 1:1 matches plus the 9,000+ youth across all programs, the diverse program portfolio (1:1, Big Couples, Big Families, ABCToday in 19 schools, Big Futures, First Job, Group Mentoring), the Kristen Slaughter CEO leadership (22+ years at the agency, named Top Nonprofit Leader in the 2026 St. Louis Business 500), the Becky James-Hatter 28-year prior CEO tenure (30-fold youth growth, 20-fold budget growth, 10-fold staff growth), the Battle @ The Ballpark signature fundraiser at Busch Stadium, the Anew community gathering space, and the 70-person professional staff supporting all programming.
Practical framing: for parents looking for a structured mentor for their child in St. Louis City, St. Louis County, or St. Charles County, BBBSEMO is the largest and most established one-to-one mentoring agency. For adults looking to mentor a young person in Eastern Missouri, BBBSEMO offers multiple program formats. For donors interested in Eastern Missouri youth mentoring, BBBSEMO represents the largest channel.
Last updated May 2026. BBBSEMO description (serving youth and community since 1914 with 1,400+ active 1:1 matches plus one-to-many programming including ABCToday in 19 schools K-12, Big Futures for ages 18-25, First Job for ages 15-17, and Group Mentoring with embedded school mentors for 20 youth and families through hybrid mentorship and wraparound services) from the BBBSEMO homepage and Offices page. Becky James-Hatter led BBBSEMO 1994-2022 (28 years), joining when agency served 300 youth with $300,000 budget and staff of seven, growing to 9,000+ youth, $6.2 million budget, professional staff of 70 by retirement at end of 2022 (Senior Advisor through December 2023), four-time Big Sister herself with Little Sister Ke'Sheara matched 25+ years, Little Sister Ivey 20+ years, and Big Couple with husband Bill matched with Little Brother Erick 13 years, from the BBBSEMO March 2022 retirement announcement. Kristen Slaughter as CEO since 2023, joining staff more than two decades ago as Big Sister herself, named one of Top Nonprofit Leaders in the 2026 St. Louis Business 500, from the BBBSEMO LinkedIn page. Battle @ The Ballpark rock-paper-scissors fundraiser at Busch Stadium launched 2022 replacing 30+ year Bowl for Kids' Sake with $1 million target and St. Louis Cardinals partnership and James-Hatter quote about low-pressure game-like fundraiser, from the St. Louis Magazine May 2022 article. Headquarters 501 N. Grand Blvd Suite 100 St. Louis MO 63103, mailing PO Box 775069 St. Louis MO 63177-5069, phone (314) 361-5900, programs include Big Brothers and Big Sisters one-to-one, Big Couples and Big Families, Group Mentoring with embedded school mentors, Anew community gathering space, from the BBBSEMO Offices and Mission pages and ZoomInfo overview. 101 ESPN partnership for 101 Mentors in 101 Days Be Big recruitment campaign from the BBBSEMO author archive. Anew event space dining experience for International Women's Forum of Missouri hosted by Slaughter plus Kristen Sorth and Jackie Middleton Tischler, from the BBBSEMO LinkedIn page. Mission language about young people not being troubled kids but wanting a shot at a greater life, success not being situational, BBBSEMO showing up for young people facilitating relationships fueling pursuit of meaningful stable independent life, from the BBBSEMO homepage. We are not affiliated with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri and receive no compensation for this listing. Errors: [email protected]
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