Big Brothers Big Sisters of Middle Tennessee (BBBSMT) was formed in 1969, when a group of civic leaders and human service professionals shared a concern and a vision.  The concern was for the alarming number of young boys with an absent father who were entering the juvenile justice system.  BBBSMT's mission is "to make a positive difference in the lives of children in need and to assist them in achieving their highest potential by facilitating a professionally supported one-to-one mentoring relationship with a committed volunteer."   Since 2005, the agency has more than tripled the number of children it serves annually, from 812 youth in 2005 to 2,541 children in 2009.  BBBSMT is formally recognized as one of the top BBBS agencies in the country, receiving "Gold Standard" designation from Big Brothers Big Sisters of America in 2009.