Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southern Minnesota Expands into Mankato

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southern Minnesota is proud to announce its expansion into the Mankato community in 2026, ensuring that youth mentorship remains strong, accessible, and community driven following the recent closure of the Brother/Sister Program previously housed at the Mankato Family YMCA.

For more than five decades, the Brother/Sister Program created life-changing relationships for local youth. “The YMCA built a powerful culture of mentorship in Mankato. We are grateful for their trust, their partnership, and the foundation they created,” said Michelle Redman, Executive Director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southern Minnesota.

“We can’t thank Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southern Minnesota enough for expanding into the Mankato area. Their experience and dedication to youth mentorship will make a meaningful impact in our community. We look forward to supporting Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southern Minnesota as they continue this important work,” said Andrew Burk, Executive Director of Mankato Family YMCA.

This expansion comes at a time when mentorship is needed more than ever. Research consistently shows that youth with a mentor are more confident, make better decisions, and are more likely to succeed academically and socially. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southern Minnesota brings a proven, nationally recognized model with strong local results.

Serving communities across southern Minnesota, the organization currently supports hundreds of youth each year through safe, structured, and high-impact mentoring relationships. In 2025 alone, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southern Minnesota served a record number of youth, 951, and earned national recognition for program excellence, growth, and outcomes. Their work is rooted in evidence-based practices, comprehensive volunteer screening, and ongoing match support that ensures mentorship relationships thrive.

“Our goal is simple and bold,” said Redman. “We want every child who wants a mentor to have one. That takes volunteers, partners, schools, donors, and families working together. Mankato has always shown up for youth, and we are excited to be part of that collective effort!”

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southern Minnesota looks forward to welcoming volunteers, families, and community partners as the program launches locally in 2026. Together, the organization and the Mankato community will ensure that the powerful impact of mentorship not only continues but grows.

Big Brothers Big Sisters’ estimated timeline includes hiring and training staff to support the Mankato area in February and March. Once staff are onboarded, we will begin outreach to past mentoring matches and work to re-enroll them. By late spring, our goal is to begin recruiting new volunteers in the community and matching them with local youth.

Because when a community believes in its young people, BIG things happen.

For more information about volunteering, enrolling a child, or partnering with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southern Minnesota, visit bbbssmn.org or contact 507-451-5922.