Dates

• Majority of material found within 1965 - 2010

Extent

9 boxes Linear Feet (The Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Indiana County, functions as a Community Action Program (CAP) to provide assistance for urban and rural communities to fight poverty in Indiana County, Pennsylvania. The headquarters is housed in the YMCA located at 60 N. Ben Franklin Parkway in Indiana, Pennsylvania. Problems of poverty as illiteracy, unemployment, poor housing affect many people in the region of Western Pennsylvania. Community Action Programs with the help of local, state, federal programs concentrate a need to start a program. The program initiated was to provide for disadvantage children who participate in the program and opportunity for cultural and social growth; motivation toward educational achievement; encouragement and stimulus toward greater personal integrity and social responsibility. A community action program was developed known as Big Brother Big Sister for the immediate area. Students from Indiana University of Pennsylvania volunteered many hours to work with the disadvantage child who became known as Little Brothers and Little Sisters. Big Brothers and Big Sisters provided the guidance, support of a friend and confidante to the Little Brother and Little Sisters. The program, which was initiated in 1966, remains part of the university community. The Big Brothers and Big Sisters papers are housed in seven archival boxes. The majority of papers included in this collection are applications of various agencies for funding, local travel expense statements of the Big Brothers and Sisters of Indiana County, as well as receipts of taxicab fares and car rental fees. Time and activity sheets of students from IUP and other volunteers in the area are found throughout the collection, as well as employee time and attendance sheets. Financial statements, such as payroll vouchers, purchase requisitions and orders forms also appear quite frequently. A copy of Community Action Program Guide, Instructions for Applicants, which probably was a standard textbook for the Big Brothers and Sisters of Indiana County, Pennsylvania, is also included in this collection. The Big Brother and Big Sister Collection of Indiana County was created when William Lafranchi, Director of Libraries and Media Services at IUP, who arranged to initially donate the organization’s papers to the IUP Special Collections and University Archives. Lafranchi became advisor to the Big Brother and Big Sister Program and worked with many organizations, students and community leaders to stress the important of college students helping young disadvantage students to motivate the young to a better environment of the future. Manuscript Group 122 William Lafranchi Collection also contains information of the Big Brothers and Big Sisters Program when Lafranchi was the Advisor. Collection materials continue to be donated by the Big Brother and Big Sister Program of Indiana County at the YMCA. All financial records have been retained by the Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Indiana County.)

Language of Materials

English