About Big Brothers Big Sisters

of Central Missouri

Mission Statement

To create and support one-to-one relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth.

Accountability Statement

By partnering with parents/guardians, volunteers, and others in the community we are accountable for each child in our program achieving:

-High aspirations, greater confidence and better relationships

-Avoidance of risky behaviors

-Educational success

Vision

All youth achieve their full potential

About Us

For more than a century, Big Brothers Big Sisters has been helping change kids’ perspectives and giving them the opportunity to reach their potential.

It all started in 1904, when a young New York City court clerk named Ernest Coulter was seeing more and more boys come through his courtroom. He recognized that caring adults could help many of these kids stay out of trouble, and he set out to find volunteers. That marked the beginning of the Big Brothers movement.

At around the same time, the members of a group called Ladies of Charity were befriending girls who had come through the New York Children’s Court. That group would later become Catholic Big Sisters.

Both groups continued to work independently until 1977, when Big Brothers Association and Big Sisters International joined forces and became Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.

More than 100 years later, Big Brothers Big Sisters remains true to our founders’ vision of bringing caring role models into the lives of children. And, today, Big Brothers Big Sisters currently operates in all 50 states—and in 12 countries around the world.

Locally, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Missouri has been supporting one-to-one mentoring relationships since 1968 in the mid-Missouri area, specifically in the counties of Audrain, Boone, Callaway, Cooper and Randolph,

Our Programs

The agency offers two programs to achieve our mission, Community-based and School-based mentoring.

Community-based

Many relationships between Bigs and Littles are part of our Community-based programs. Community-based mentoring relationships involve one-on-one outings and activities, doing things the Big and Little enjoy together, like:

Taking a walk in the park
Going to museum
Going to an event hosted by the local BBBS affiliate
Listening to music
Hanging out and talking

Some Bigs meet their Littles on the weekends. Others get together with their Littles on weekday evenings. Each match is unique and develops a schedule that works for them.

Studies show that children who have role models are more likely to improve in school and in their relationships with family and friends, and less likely to skip school or use illegal drugs or alcohol. Students who are successful in school are less likely to drop out, abuse drugs, or commit crimes.

School-based

It may sound obvious, but sometimes the best place to help a child realize their potential is at school. Kids enjoy having their Bigs meet with them there, whether it’s in the classroom or on the playground. And parents know what a positive impact it makes.

Some of the biggest supporters of our School-Based Mentoring program are actually teachers. They see students come back from their time with their Big filled with confidence, smiling big, ready to learn and eager to succeed.

Although it takes place at schools, our School-Based Mentoring program isn’t limited to the classroom. Of course, some Littles do talk with their Bigs about class, or do homework, or read together, but it’s perfectly fine to shoot hoops in the gym or play on the playground. At the end of the day, it's really all about starting a friendship, providing guidance and inspiring them to reach their potential.

Meet Our Staff

Ann Merrifield

Executive Director
(573) 874-3677 ext 201
ann@bigsofcentralmo.org
Ann Merrifield is proud to be a member of the “COVID Class” of new executive directors for Big Brothers Big Sisters. She started as ED for BBBS of Central Missouri on June 1, 2020. Ann is experienced in working with at-risk youth, mentoring, training and business development, fundraising and constituent engagement, workforce development and higher education. She has a Master’s degree in Education with a concentration in Curriculum Development and Instruction, and a BS in Education with a concentration in Special Education. One of Ann’s top strengths is her Positivity, which she believes is what gets her through just about everything. She was born and raised in Iowa, which explains her sense of humor.
Aleshia Marso, MSW

Program Manager
(573) 874-3677 ext 220
aleshia@bigsofcentralmo.org
Aleshia Marso, Program Manager, started her journey with Big Brothers Big Sisters in 2015. She has spent the majority of her social work career working with non-profits in the community. Aleshia holds a Master’s degree in Social Work with a clinical focus. She enjoys working with youth and making a difference in the community. Aleshia also enjoys baking and telling embarrassing, but hilarious, stories about her 2 children.
Adam Brietzke

Director of Development and Marketing
(573) 874-3677 ext 212
adam@bigsofcentralmo.org
Adam Brietzke is proud to be a member of the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Missouri team. His previous experience in management has taken him from multi-unit retail sales to non-profit and fundraising. Adam is a graduate of Rock Bridge High School here in Columbia and went on to Missouri State University in Springfield where he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting. Since returning to Columbia in 2016, Adam has been an active member of the city’s theatre community recently serving as the Artistic Director for Talking Horse Productions. One of Adam’s greatest strengths is his creativity which he looks forward to using to create new opportunities for recruiting and strategic partnerships.
Krisitie Douglas

Community Engagement Specialist
(573) 874-3677 ext 225
kristie@bigsofcentralmo.org
Kristie Douglas has been with Big Brothers Big Sisters since 2017. She is a match support specialist for Boone, Randolph and Audrain counties. Kristie also teaches a weekly class called Kids to Careers where she exposes youth to entrepreneurs within the community. Kristie is experienced with working with at-risk youth, curriculum development, and case management.
Kristie started her educational journey at Oklahoma State University where she played two years of collegiate basketball before finishing her bachelor's degree at Columbia College.
One of Kristie's strengths include her persistence, because she believes in life you have to have it. Kristie was born and raised in Macon, Mo. She enjoys vacationing in the Carribean and spending time with her wife, and their 4 boys.
Erin Tucker

Match Support Specialist
(573) 874-3677 ext 224
erin@bigsofcentralmo.org
Erin is a force of nature that cares deeply for others. This has led her to a path of working in social services. Her experience includes case management, job coaching and now as a Match Support Specialist with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Missouri. Erin is currently working on her coaching certificate as an addition to her Bachelors of Arts in Human Services. Erin is a former member of Toastmaster’s International where she has led roles in leadership and developed her communication skills further.
Erin is a mother of two children and loves her dogs and cats. She continues to find joy in the little things with her children and in the celebrating of their accomplishments. In her free time she enjoys crafting and creating art with her daughter as well as enjoying working with her dogs and training them. Erin also plays the cello and enjoys music from many different genres.
Erin says her greatest self-accomplishment is having graduated college.
Amanda Thomas

Match Support Specialist
(573) 874-3677 ext 228
amanda@bigsofcentralmo.org
Kristian Haywood

Office Support Specialist
Kristian started her journey with Big Brothers Big Sisters on February 7, 2022. In this position, she provides support for events, fundraising, and matches to further our mission.
Having an instant passion for children and their nurturing, she began working with children at the age of 16 and became a preschool teacher at 21 for low-income children while finishing her college degree. Kristian graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia, double-majoring in English and Film Studies with an emphasis in Creative Writing Fiction and Film Production, and a minor in Fine Arts. By using these mediums, Kristian was able to connect with at-risk youth of various backgrounds by teaching them how to express emotions using the Arts.
In her free time, Kristian spends time with family and friends doing things in Central MO like hiking trails, art shows, and strolling downtown Columbia. She also volunteers with the Columbia African American Association scholarship program. She hopes to one day write a children's book.