New name honors commitment to all youth in need within growing service footprint
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Zanesville proudly announces a new name that reflects its growing regional presence and impact: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Appalachian Ohio (BBBSAOH). This new name acknowledges the organization’s expanded service area across five-counties, including Muskingum, Guernsey, Coshocton, Morgan, and Noble Counties.
For more than a century, Big Brothers Big Sisters has proudly fulfilled its critical mission from the heart of Zanesville: to create and support one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power of youth. Today, the organization engages more than 900 children each year through school-based mentoring, community mentoring and programs, outreach events, and activities for youth waiting to be matched. This is more than triple the number served in 2020, when pandemic-related lockdowns reduced the agency’s service capacity to below 300.
This dramatic increase in youth served demonstrates both the strength of the organization’s local partnerships and the Appalachian region’s deep commitment to helping children thrive.
“Changing our name to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Appalachian Ohio allows us to better capture who we are based on the families we serve and where they reside,” said Katie Lupsor, President and CEO. She adds, “This is a change in name only—our mission remains the same, and our deepest, founding roots are in Zanesville. Those roots have been spreading steadily each year, and we’re simply making it easier for families, partners, and supporters across the region to recognize that we’re here for them, too.”
“This name change reflects our ongoing commitment to advocate for and serve all regional youth with care and consistency; this is at the heart of what we do,” said Megan Durst, Board President. “We’re proud to grow in a way that honors our Zanesville foundation while embracing a broader future. The reality is that so many kids across Appalachian Ohio need and deserve strong mentors and community support, and we’re thrilled that our new name recognizes and welcomes them all.”
To learn more about the name change and the organization’s programs, or to get involved, contact President & CEO Katie Lupsor at (740) 453-7300 or katie@bbbsaoh.org.