The Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and Boys & Girls Clubs of America organizations will join forces to match adult volunteers with inner-city youth as part of the "Up 2 Us" mentoring program sponsored by the Pillsbury Co.

This is the first time the two youth-oriented social service organizations have worked together on the national level.

Pillsbury's foundation is funding the two-year "Up 2 Us" pilot program with a $1 million grant. Pilot programs will be launched in five cities this year: Minneapolis; San Antonio; San Francisco; Tampa, Fla.; and Wilmington, Del.

Local Big Brothers Big Sisters agencies will use grant funds to gather, screen and train adult volunteers.

The adults will be matched with children from single-parent homes, with meetings taking place at the local Boys & Girls Clubs. The matched adults and children will participate in a number of Boys & Girls Clubs programs.

An "Up 2 Us" model will be rolled out to other cities around the country in the program's second year.

Minneapolis-based Pillsbury donates an estimated $6 million a year to more than two dozen U.S. cities and towns in which it has facilities. The company emphasizes youth-oriented programs and self-sufficiency efforts.

Big Brothers Big Sisters has more than 500 affiliates throughout the U.S. Boys & Girls Clubs has more than 2,000 Club locations in the U.S.