Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Tri-State, based in Huntington, West Virginia, matches children with caring adult mentors in one-to-one relationships across nine counties in the tri-state region. Incorporated in 1974, the agency is West Virginia's active Big Brothers Big Sisters affiliate, serving communities including Cabell, Kanawha, Mason, Putnam, and Wayne counties. Website bbbstristate.org.
The agency matches a child (a Little) with a vetted volunteer adult mentor (a Big) in a one-to-one relationship supported by professional staff. The relationship gives a child a consistent, caring adult presence, which research links to higher confidence, stronger school engagement, and resilience.
Based in Huntington, the agency is West Virginia's active Big Brothers Big Sisters affiliate, after some other WV chapters closed in the past. It delivers both community-based and site-based mentoring across its service area.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Tri-State serves nine counties across the region where West Virginia, Ohio, and Kentucky meet, centered on Huntington. On the West Virginia side, that includes Cabell, Kanawha, Mason, Putnam, and Wayne counties, covering the Huntington and Charleston corridor that holds much of southwestern West Virginia's population.
Operating across a tri-state region is common for Huntington-area nonprofits, since the metro spans the Ohio River and state lines, but the agency's base and much of its service area are firmly in West Virginia.
Incorporated in 1974, the agency has matched tri-state children with adult mentors for roughly five decades from its office at 501 5th Avenue in Huntington. Its leadership team includes staff with long tenure in mentoring, and the agency partners with local universities and community groups to recruit volunteers.
After Big Brothers Big Sisters chapters in other parts of West Virginia closed in the past, the Tri-State agency remains the state's active affiliate, making its Huntington base important for West Virginia children seeking a mentor.
To become a Big, visit bbbstristate.org. Volunteers complete an application and screening process, then are matched with a Little and supported by agency staff throughout the relationship.
The agency recruits volunteers across the Huntington area, including from Marshall University and local employers, since demand from families typically exceeds the number of screened volunteers available.
Donations can be made at bbbstristate.org. The agency is a 501(c)(3) organization, so gifts are tax-deductible. Corporate partnerships, foundation grants, and individual giving fund the mentoring work across the region.
Gifts that fund match support help the agency keep relationships safe and effective over the long term.
West Virginia has youth-serving organizations including Boys and Girls Clubs and community programs. For one-to-one, professionally supported mentoring through the national Big Brothers Big Sisters network, the Tri-State agency in Huntington is the state's active affiliate.
Its focus on sustained individual relationships complements the group programming other organizations provide across West Virginia.
Last updated June 2026. BBBS of the Tri-State headquarters (501 5th Avenue, Huntington), incorporation (1974), nine-county tri-state service area, and West Virginia counties served (Cabell, Kanawha, Mason, Putnam, Wayne) from the agency (bbbstristate.org), the WVU Center for Community Engagement, and Cause IQ (EIN 55-0559711). The former Big Brothers Big Sisters of North Central West Virginia closed in 2014, per West Virginia Press Association reporting. We are not affiliated with Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Tri-State and receive no compensation for this listing. Spotted an error? [email protected]
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